TWO BITS: Florida-Miami, Gators on SEC Nation

1 » If everything works out, the Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes will be scheduling a home-and-home series…in men’s basketball. According to The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, discussions have begun between the two schools for the in-state rivals to play each other in consecutive seasons. The Orlando Sentinel’s Edgar Thompson confirmed with UF associate athletic director Mike Hill that the teams are indeed “finalizing” a contract with the first game set to be played this November at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida. The second contest would be held at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables during the 2015-16 season. The timing will work out for UF, which may be forced from its home arena during the fall semester of the campaign as a planned renovation of the O’Dome is scheduled to be in its final stages. The Gators are 45-22 all-time against the Canes on the hardwood with the schools last playing a home-and-home series in 2004-05. UF and UM have squared off just four times in the last 23 seasons, all since 2002.

2 » The SEC Network on Saturday announced that it will hold its College GameDay-esque pre-game program, SEC Nation, in Gainesville on Sept. 13 ahead of Florida’s league opener against Kentucky. The following week, the Gators will be featured a program for the second time when it emanates from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Sept. 20 ahead of the UF-Alabama game. In addition to host Joe Tessitore and former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, the SEC Nation panel will include long-time radio host Paul Finebaum and former LSU defensive end Marcus Spears.