Florida football to play home-and-home series with Notre Dame in 2031-32 seasons

By Adam Silverstein
February 9, 2021
Florida football to play home-and-home series with Notre Dame in 2031-32 seasons
Football

Image Credit: Tiffany Franco / UAA

The Florida Gators and Notre Dame Fighting Irish announced Tuesday that the two historic programs will play a home-and-home series for the first time in history. Florida will hit the road first to play at Notre Dame on Nov. 15, 2031, before the Irish head to The Swamp to face the Gators on Sept. 11, 2032.

Florida and Notre Dame have only met once previously in the 1992 Sugar Bowl, a game in which ND beat UF 39-28.

This is a game that has long been in the works. Sources told OnlyGators.com more than one year ago that the Gators and Irish had at least agreed in principle to a deal on a home-and-home series. OnlyGators.com is at this time unable to report why it took the sides so long to announce the agreement.

Perhaps one issue was the game dates. It is quite uncommon for Florida to play on a nonconference game of this magnitude — particularly on the road — so late in the season with Florida State still scheduled for the final week. A Florida-Notre Dame game so late provides a huge obstacle for a potential College Football Playoff compared to a showdown earlier in the season that can be overcome over the duration of a campaign.

The Gators will likely face the most difficult schedule in program history one decade from now. Florida in 2031 will not only play its SEC schedule but also face Texas and Notre Dame on the road along with Arizona State and Florida State at home. That’s four Power Five nonconference games in a single season, including two true road games against a pair of the most storied college football programs in history.

It is likely that college football sees a major shift in alignment and scheduling by the time that 2031 season rolls around, but it is nevertheless interesting to see how stacked the Gators schedule is that year as it also stands in 2026, 2028 and 2032. UF will now play at least two Power Five nonconference opponents every year from 2022-32.

Upcoming Power Five nonconference games

2021: vs. Florida State
2022: vs. Utah, at Florida State
2023: at Utah, vs. Florida State
2024: vs. Miami, at Florida State
2025: at Miami, vs. Florida State
2026: at NC State, vs. Cal, at Florida State
2027: at Cal, vs. Florida State
2028: vs. Colorado, at Arizona State, at Florida State
2029: at Colorado, vs. Florida State
2030: vs. Texas, at Florida State
2031: at Texas, vs. Arizona State, at Notre Dame, vs. Florida State
2032: vs. Notre Dame, vs. NC State, at Florida State

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