The Florida Gators have made a change to their 2025 non-conference football schedule, according to a report from Swamp247.

Florida previously had all four of its non-conference opponents set for next season, including a matchup at home on Saturday, October 11 against the Florida A&M Rattlers of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Per the report, that game will not be played.

Instead, Florida has scheduled a different FCS opponent and it will be the season-opener at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., likely on Saturday, Aug. 30. That opponent will reportedly be the Long Island University (LIU) Sharks of the Northeast Conference (NEC).

We previously reported that LIU was scheduled to open the 2025 season on the road against the FIU Panthers on Aug. 30. If the Sharks are instead playing at the Gators as reported, their contest against the Panthers will have to be rescheduled. The LIU-FIU contract was signed in February of this year and also includes a men’s basketball game.

The Florida Gators did not previously have a season-opening contest scheduled, so that is likely the reason for their schedule alteration. Other non-conference opponents scheduled for the Gators in 2025 include the USF Bulls at home on Sept. 6, the Miami Hurricanes on the road on Sept. 20, and the Florida State Seminoles in Gainesville to close the regular-season on Nov. 29.

In SEC action next season, Florida is scheduled to host Georgia (in Jacksonville), Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Texas and travel to Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M. SEC opponents in 2025 are the same as the 2024 season, but with the locations flipped.

Florida, which has claimed consecutive victories over ranked conference opponents at home — No. 22 LSU (27-16) and No. 9 Ole Miss (24-17) — is next scheduled to visit the 2-9 Florida State Seminoles on Saturday, Nov. 30 in Tallahassee, Fla. The game will be televised by ESPN2 at 7:00pm ET.

Football Schedules