New head coach Jon Sumrall prioritizes the battle for Sunshine State supremacy, ranking Florida State ahead of the Bulldogs as he shifts the Gators’ traditional hierarchy of hate.
New Florida head coach Jon Sumrall is in a hurry to build a winner, and he's setting his sights on a few programs he wants to beat more than the others.
The Gators are a year or two away from competing for a national championship, but the team can build confidence in 2026 by knocking a few elite teams and rivals.
During an interview with Damien Harris of CBS Sports, Sumrall sounded off on who he considers to be the top rivals for the Gators. He thinks Florida State is the top rival, with Georgia a close second.
Miami and LSU still mean something, but they're not as important because UF no longer plays them every year.
“I think you probably have to start with Florida State,” Sumrall said. “We play them year-in, year-out. They’re in the same state as us. So, that one has got to be at the top. Then you have to go with Georgia at number two. That’s kinda 1A and 1B. I don’t know if there really is a number two. I think it’s just one-and-one.
“And then the other two, you can kind of just mix them up. Miami‘s in our state, but we don’t play them every year. So maybe less of a direct rivalry. And then LSU is no longer on our permanent crossover deal, but still a pretty high, intense big game. But, the first two--really easy. The last two, you can kind of mix them up for me.”
Florida leads the all-time series with Florida State 39-28-2. The Gators have won the last two games, including a 40-21 win over Florida State in 2025.
The game that's no longer called the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" has been dominated by Georgia. The Bulldogs lead the series 57-44-2.
The Gators have not defeated Georgia since 2020. The Bulldogs defeated UF 24-20 in 2025.
Sumrall would put Florida back on the map by winning the Okefenokee Oar trophy this fall. The Gators are expected to be a fringe Top 25 team, while the Bulldogs are expected to be in the mix for the College Football Playoff national championship.
