GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida has canceled a home-and-home series with Notre Dame scheduled for 2031 and 2032 as the Gators continue to eliminate Power Four non-conference games from their schedules.
The Gators used a clause in the contract to get out of the deal without financial penalty, according to the Associated Press. The decision led to the Fighting Irish announcing Tuesday a home-and-home series with Washington to be played in 2031 and ’34.
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The SEC’s move to nine conference games this season and Florida’s annual series with Florida State gives the Gators 10 games against Power Four opponents on a 12-game regular-season schedule. Keeping Notre Dame as an 11th Power Four foe was difficult for UF decision-makers to justify, even with the College Football Playoff expanding to 24 teams.
Teams outside the SEC, including Miami and Indiana, reached the national title game with schedules ranked 54th and 100th nationally entering the 2025 season. The Gators tied for 29th in schedule ranking.
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin added Notre Dame to the Gators’ schedule in 2021 during a push to upgrade the school’s non-conference schedules.
UF’s home-and-home series with Utah (2022-23) and Miami (2024-25) went on as scheduled, but Florida canceled its series with N.C. State (2026, 2032), Cal (2026-27) and Arizona State (2028, 2031).
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Colorado (2028-29) and UCF (2030, 2033) are the only remaining non-conference home-and-home series remaining on Florida’s future schedules.
Two of the sport’s most-storied programs, Florida and Notre Dame had met just once, with Jerome Bettis-led Notre Dame beating the Gators, 39-28, during the 1992 Sugar Bowl. Bettis finished with 150 yards rushing and three touchdowns to earn MVP honors, while Florida quarterback Shane Matthews set a Sugar Bowl record with 370 passing yards.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
