GAINESVILLE,
Fla. -- The Gators will open the 2014 football season with three
consecutive home games the way they did in Will Muschamp's first season two
years ago.
However,
instead of playing their first road game at Kentucky like in 2011, Florida's first
away game next season will be at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The
SEC released its 2014 football schedule Wednesday and one of the highlights is
the renewal of the Florida-Alabama rivalry.
Florida
coach Will Muschamp and his former boss, Alabama coach Nick Saban, will meet
for the second time as head coaches on Sept. 20. The two programs have combined
to win five of the last seven national championships.
Florida
won the national title in 2006 and 2008, and Alabama has won three of the last
four national titles, including two in a row.
The
Gators open the 2014 season at home against Idaho on Aug. 30 in the first
meeting between the schools. Idaho is set to join the Sun Belt Conference next
season after playing as an independent this season.
Florida
then welcomes Eastern Michigan to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Sept. 6 before
opening SEC play against Kentucky at home on Sept. 13 to cap a three-game
homestand to open the season. The Gators play at Miami in the second game of
the 2013 season and traveled to Texas A&M in the second game of last
season.
The
game against Kentucky kicks off a stretch of eight consecutive conference games
until Eastern Kentucky visits The Swamp on Nov. 22 in the Gators' home finale.
The
SEC is currently reviewing its football scheduling format with the addition of
Texas A&M and Missouri to the conference in 2013.
At
SEC Media Days last month, conference commissioner Mike Slive said the current
format is set for at least the next two seasons.
"The
end result was a decision to commit the conference to a review of our
scheduling format in anticipation of the 2016 season,'' Slive said. "This
review will include whether or not to play an eight- or nine-game conference
schedule and whether or not to retain permanent non-divisional opponents.
“In
the meantime, until that review is complete, we will continue to schedule based
on the current 6-1-1 format pending the results of that review."
Under
the 6-1-1 format, each team plays six games against teams in its own division,
one permanent cross-divisional game, and one rotating cross-divisional game. The
Gators continue to face LSU as their cross-divisional game and drew Alabama for
2014 as their SEC West rotating opponent.
Here
is a look at Florida's 2014 schedule (starting times to be determined unless
noted):
Aug.
30:
Idaho, TBA
Sept.
6:
Eastern Michigan, TBA
Sept.
13:
Kentucky, TBA
Sept.
20:
at Alabama, TBA
Sept.
27:
Bye week
Oct.
4:
at Tennessee, TBA
Oct.
11:
LSU, TBA
Oct.
18:
Missouri, TBA
Oct.
25:
Bye week
Nov.
1:
Georgia, TBA (in Jacksonville)
Nov.
8:
at Vanderbilt, TBA
Nov.
15:
South Carolina, TBA
Nov.
22:
Eastern Kentucky, TBA
Nov.
29:
at Florida State, TBA
