Tag: announcement

SEC announces 2020 preseason coaches All-SEC Football Team

The SEC announced its 2020 preseason coaches All-SEC Football Team, featuring 8 Gators among the three tiers of teams used in the rankings. 

The Southeastern Conference announced its 2020 preseason coaches All-SEC Football Team, featuring eight Florida Gators among the three tiers of teams used in the rankings.

Florida features two players on the first team, with quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts getting the nod from fellow SEC coaches. However, the Gators failed to place a defensive player on the First Team.

The second team, however, has a trio of Gators defenders on it, with linebacker Ventrell Miller, along with defensive backs Kaiir Elam and Marco Wilson receiving support. Much like the dearth of defense on the first team, there is a noticeable absence of offensive players on the second.

Another triad of Gators athletes made the third team, this time with a bit more diversity. Kadarius Toney gets the nod for his all-purpose play, while defensive lineman Zachary Carter and place-kicker Evan McPherson round out the members of UF’s squad on the 2020 preseason coaches All-SEC Football Team.

The full poll results can be viewed below.

2020 Preseason Coaches All-SEC Football Team (* – ties)

First Team Preseason All-SEC

OFFENSE

TE

Kyle Pitts, Florida

OL

Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
Trey Smith, Tennessee
Darian Kinnard, Kentucky
Landon Dickerson, Alabama

C

Drake Jackson, Kentucky

WR

DeVonta Smith, Alabama
Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

QB

Kyle Trask, Florida

RB

Najee Harris, Alabama
Kylin Hill, Mississippi State

AP

Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

DEFENSE

DL

Bobby Brown, Texas A&M
LaBryan Ray, Alabama
Big Kat Bryant, Auburn
Jordan Davis, Georgia

LB

Dylan Moses, Alabama
K.J. Britt, Auburn
Nick Bolton, Missouri

DB

Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
Derek Stingley, LSU
Richard LeCounte, Georgia
Jacoby Stevens, LSU

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK

Brent Cimaglia, Tennessee

P

Max Duffy, Kentucky

RS

Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

Second Team Preseason All-SEC

OFFENSE

TE

Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M

OL

Sadarius Hutcherson, South Carolina
Deonte Brown, Alabama
Landon Young, Kentucky
Austin Deculus, LSU*
Brodarious Hamm, Auburn*
Wanya Morris, Tennessee*
Ed Ingram, LSU*

C

Trey Hill, Georgia

WR

George Pickens, Georgia
Terrace Marshall, LSU

QB

Kellen Mond, Texas A&M

RB

Rakeem Boyd, Arkansas
Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M

AP

Derek Stingley, LSU

DEFENSE

DL

Kobie Whiteside, Missouri
Malik Herring, Georgia
Aaron Sterling, South Carolina
Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt

LB

Henry To’o To’o, Tennessee
Monty Rice, Georgia
Erroll Thompson, Mississippi State*
Nakobe Dean, Georgia*
Ventrell Miller, Florida*

DB

Kaiir Elam, Florida
Eric Stokes, Georgia
Demani Richardson, Texas A&M
Tyree Gillespie, Missouri*
Marco Wilson, Florida*
Israel Mukuamu, South Carolina*

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK

Cade York, LSU

P

Jake Camarda, Georgia

RS

Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss

Third Team Preseason All-SEC

OFFENSE

TE

Arik Gilbert, LSU

OL

Carson Green, Texas A&M
Kenyon Green, Texas A&M
Evan Neal, Alabama
Dan Moore, Texas A&M

C

Landon Dickerson, Alabama

WR

Seth Williams, Auburn
Elijah Moore, Ole Miss

QB

Bo Nix, Auburn

RB

Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss
Larry Rountree, Missouri

AP

Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss*
Kadarius Toney, Florida*
Christian Tutt, Auburn*

DEFENSE

DL

Zachary Carter, Florida
Josh Paschal, Kentucky
Kobe Jones, Mississippi State
Glen Logan, LSU

LB

Boogie Watson, Kentucky
Dimitri Moore, Vanderbilt
Nolan Smith, Georgia*
Ernest Jones, South Carolina*
Andre Mintze, Vanderbilt*

DB

Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
Bryce Thompson, Tennessee
Yusuf Corker, Kentucky
Christian Tutt, Auburn*
Josh Jobe, Alabama*

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK

Evan McPherson, Florida

P

Mac Brown, Ole Miss

RS

Christian Tutt, Auburn

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Gators News: August 18, 2020

With the SEC announcing its full 2020 10-game intraconference schedule, things are kicking into high gear in the Gator Nation. 

Welcome to a Tuesday edition of Gators News! With the Southeastern Conference announcing its full 2020 10-game intraconference schedule, things are kicking into high gear in the Gator Nation.

Paul Myerberg at USA TODAY Sports took a stab at ranking the SEC’s Week 1 matchups, placing the Gators’ game with Ole Miss in second just behind Mississippi State at LSU.

Gentry Estes over at the Nashville Tennessean believes that if this college football season actually happens amidst the novel coronavirus pandemic, then every player will deserve a ring.

In college hoops, by mid-September, the NCAA is expected to announce a decision whether the men’s and women’s college basketball seasons will start on time. Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice-president of basketball, released a statement Monday which included the following.

“As we prepare for the 2020-21 college basketball season, we have exercised patience and discipline in monitoring the effects of COVID-19 and making decisions regarding the season.”

Here is the rest of the news from the Gators Wire.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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LSU, UGA stand in way of Florida Gators’ path to 2020 SEC football glory

The full football schedule for the SEC this fall was announced Monday night on a live broadcast by the SEC Network.

The full football schedule for the SEC this fall was announced Monday night on a live broadcast by the SEC Network.

Earlier in the day, the league released the full first-week schedule, including UF’s season opener on Sep. 26, when the Gators will travel to Oxford, Ms., for the first time since 2007.

Among the highlights of Florida’s full schedule is a Week 3 road match in College Station against Texas A&M followed by a home fixture the following weekend against defending national champion LSU.

Additionally, the Gators won’t be playing Georgia on Halloween weekend as they usually do. Both teams are on a bye that weekend, and they will compete at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville the following weekend on Nov. 7.

One of the changes made to the format of the schedule to accommodate the added two games is the extension of the regular season to the first weekend of December. Though in-state rivalry games, such as the Iron and Egg Bowls, will still take place on Thanksgiving weekend, those matchups will not conclude the regular season for those schools.

On Dec. 5, the Gators travel to Knoxville, Tn., to complete the regular season against Tennessee. It will be the first time Florida has played the Volunteers in December since 2001, when the game was delayed as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The full schedule is listed below. All kickoff times are still TBD.

Week 1 – Sept. 26 at Ole Miss

Week 2 – Oct. 3 vs. South Carolina

Week 3 – Oct. 10 at Texas A&M

Week 4 – Oct. 17 vs. LSU

Week 5 – Oct. 24 vs. Missouri

Week 6 – Bye

Week 7 – Nov. 7 vs. Georgia (in Jacksonville)

Week 8 – Nov. 14 vs. Arkansas

Week 9 – Nov. 21 at Vanderbilt

Week 10 – Nov. 28 vs. Kentucky

Week 11 – Dec. 5 at Tennessee

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Florida Gators football will face Ole Miss in SEC Week 1 matchup

The Southeastern Conference announced its opening week matchups on Monday afternoon, revealing the roster for the first seven games of 2020.

The Southeastern Conference announced its opening week matchups on Monday afternoon, revealing the roster for the first seven games of 2020. Despite the on-going coronavirus pandemic, the league has shown every indication that it will continue forward with its conference-only schedule beginning on Sept. 26.

The University of Florida was pitted against non-divisional foe Ole Miss, whose first-year coach Lane Kiffin will be looking to set the tone for his team against a heavily-favored Florida team. The Gators will begin their conference-only season on the road far from the friendly confines of The Swamp, but they bring in high expectations after a commendable showing in 2019.

However, while the Gators may be a better overall team, do not count the Rebels out in this weird 2020 year where anything seems possible, especially with Kiffin at the helm on the opposite sideline.

WEEK 1 SCHEDULE

Alabama at Missouri

Florida at Ole Miss

Georgia at Arkansas

Kentucky at Auburn

Mississippi State at LSU

Tennessee at South Carolina

Vanderbilt at Texas A&M

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Gators News: August 17, 2020

It is a new week and as we inch towards the return of college football down here in the SEC there is plenty going on around the sports world

It is a new week and as we inch towards the return of college football down here in the Southeastern Conference, there is plenty going on around the sports world to report on.

Leading off, tonight the SEC will announce its official 2020 football schedule tonight at 7 p.m. ET on the SEC Network. The league appears to be moving forward strong towards fall competition and releasing the schedule now is sure to please a plethora of fans.

Not everyone will be playing if/when the season starts, however, as Ole Miss senior center Eli Johnson announced he is opting out of the 2020 college football season, whose father was hospitalized and placed on a ventilator after being infected with the novel coronavirus back in March.

Adam Jardy at The Columbus Dispatch asks if a “bubble” plan could work for college basketball and takes a look at the variables involved. Our own Tyler Nettuno discussed whether there would even be a season in his column last month, and not much has changed since.

There is sad news in the Gator Nation, as former wide receiver and current Florida International assistant coach Aubrey Hill has passed away after a long bout with cancer. He was 48 years old.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey releases statement on conference status

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey released the following statement on the SEC’s official Twitter account. 

Amidst the turmoil of the college football landscape on Tuesday, after the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences announced that they will be canceling their 2020 fall football schedules, Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey released the following statement on the SEC’s official Twitter account.

“I look forward to learning more about the factors that led to the Big Ten and Pac-12 leadership to take these actions today. I remain comfortable with the thorough and deliberate approach that the SEC and our 14 member schools are taking to support a healthy environment for our student-athletes. We will continue to further refine our policies and protocols for a safe return to sports as we monitor developments around COVID-19 in a continued effort to support, educate and care for our student-athletes every day.”

The Atlantic Coast Conference also released a statement over Twitter about the same time on Tuesday afternoon, which stated the following.

The ACC will continue to make decisions based on medical advice, inclusive of our Medical Advisory Group, local and state health guidelines, and do so in a way that appropriately coincides with our universities’ academic missions.

The safety of our students, staff and overall campus communities will always be our top priority, and we are pleased with the protocols being administrated on our 15 campuses. We will continue to follow our process that has been in place for months and has served us well.

We understand the need to stay flexible and be prepared to adjust as medical information and the landscape evolves.

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Gators News: August 5, 2020

It is Wednesday and on this fine humpday, there is plenty of news from around the Gators Nation just waiting to satiate your reading needs. 

It is Wednesday and on this fine humpday, there is plenty from around the Gators Nation just waiting to satiate your reading desires.

The biggest news comes from the Big Ten, which announced this morning its schedule of 10 conference games to start on Sept. 5. The announcement sets the parameters for a regular season that eliminates all non-conference play and adds in an additional off week to provide the highest degree of scheduling flexibility in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Check below for the latest from Gators Wire.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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SEC announces plan to play 10-game conference-only football schedule

The SEC announced that its member schools will adhere to a 10-game, conference-only schedule for the upcoming 2020 football season.

The Southeastern Conference announced on Thursday that its member schools will adhere to a 10-game, conference-only schedule for the upcoming 2020 football season beginning on Sept. 26.

From the press release:

The 2020 SEC football season will be comprised of a 10-game Conference-only schedule and the SEC Football Championship Game will be played December 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, rescheduled from the original date of December 5. The schedule will include one mid-season open date for each school and an open date on December 12 for all schools.

“This new plan for a football schedule is consistent with the educational goals of our universities to allow for the safe and orderly return to campus of their student populations and to provide a healthy learning environment during these unique circumstances presented by the COVID-19 virus,” Sankey said.  “This new schedule supports the safety measures that are being taken by each of our institutions to ensure the health of our campus communities.”

This action was taken following extensive discussions and thorough deliberation among the SEC’s Presidents and Chancellors, Athletics Directors, Conference Office staff, and medical advisors, led by the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force.

“After careful consideration of the public health indicators in our region and following advice of our medical advisors, we have determined that this is the best course of action to prepare for a safe and healthy return to competition for SEC student-athletes, coaches and others associated with our sports programs,” said Sankey.

The decision to limit competition to Conference-only opponents and rescheduling the SEC Championship Game is based on the need for maximum flexibility in making any necessary scheduling adjustments while reacting to developments around the pandemic and continued advice from medical professionals.

“We believe these schedule adjustments offer the best opportunity to complete a full season by giving us the ability to adapt to the fluid nature of the virus and the flexibility to adjust schedules as necessary if disruptions occur,” Sankey said.  “It is regrettable that some of our traditional non-conference rivalries cannot take place in 2020 under this plan, but these are unique, and hopefully temporary, circumstances that call for unconventional measures.”

The rescheduled start to the season will allow the SEC to continue to monitor health trends across its 11-state footprint, as well as monitor developments in technology around mitigation and treatment of the virus, including:

– Trends in public health indicators throughout the SEC’s 11-state footprint, including positive cases of COVID-19, hospitalizations and recovery statistics

– State, local and campus heath directives, including restrictions on gatherings, isolation requirements for travelers, and other health and travel restrictions

– Continued development of risk mitigation strategies

– Continued advancement in COVID-19 testing reliability and availability

– Continued evolution of time-based strategies for resuming activities after positive test results, including contact tracing, isolation and quarantine requirements

– Observation of successes and challenges presented by return to competition in other sports

A revised schedule for the 2020 SEC football season will be announced at a later date following approval by the Conference’s athletics directors.

Further decisions regarding safety standards related to athletics events, tailgating and other game day activities, including social distancing, face covering and other health measures consistent with CDC, state and local guidelines, will be announced at a later date.

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Gators quarterback Kyle Trask listed on Maxwell Award Watch List

Florida quarterback Kyle Trask is one of 90 players on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced.

Florida quarterback Kyle Trask is one of 90 players on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Friday. He’s the ninth UF player to be named to a postseason award watch list so far.

He joins 38 other signal-callers nationwide and four from the SEC on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which is given annually to the nation’s most outstanding player. Mississippi State’s K.J. Costello, Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond, Georgia’s Jamie Newman and Auburn’s Bo Nix are also on the list.

Trask is coming off one of the best passing seasons by a Florida quarterback in the last two decades. After stepping in as the starter for an injured Feleipe Franks in the third game, Trask led the Gators to an 11-2 finish in 2019, throwing for 2,941 yards with 25 touchdown passes to just seven interceptions. He had a passer rating of 156.09, the ninth-best mark in school history and the highest since Tim Tebow achieved a 164.2 rating in 2009.

The 2020 Maxwell Award’s winner is set to be announced at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 10.

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Gators News: July 13, 2020

A new week is upon us and given the events that preceded the weekend we are in for one heckuva few days as we roll into the middle of July. 

A new week is upon us and given the events that preceded the weekend we are in for one heck of a few days as we roll into the middle of July.

It is expected that sometime later today the Southeastern Conference will make its announcement concerning the shift to conference-only schedules already taken by the Big 10 and PAC-12, as well as the Ivy League’s decision to cancel all fall athletics. The Patriot League is also canceling its 2020 fall athletics season, according to a source.

In other news, Major League Baseball is currently struggling with its restart due to numerous reports of positive COVID-19 cases while the National Basketball Association is trying its hardest to keep its bubble from being burst.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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