Gator Soccer Releases Schedule

The Florida Gators soccer team, led by first-year coach Tony Amato, released its 19-game fall schedule on July 20. The season lies right around the corner, as matches begin in less than a month.

A Qualified Schedule

The Gators scheduled six opponents who earned bids in the reduced 48-team bracket in spring 2021, amid COVID-19. Each of these six teams: South Florida, Florida State, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and South Carolina, appeared in at least the second round. Two teams: the Seminoles and Tar Heels, advanced to the semifinals.

“The fall schedule provides a lot of great challenges and tests for us,” Amato said. “It will prepare us for SEC play that starts in September and we’re excited to get it started.”

Non-Conference Challengers

For the first time this fall, after playing fall and spring last year, the Gators take the field in an exhibition matchup against Southern Mississippi in Alabama on Aug. 12. 

Florida, who went 6-8-3 in Becky Burleigh’s final season, starts the regular season on the road against the South Florida Bulls on Aug. 19. Next, they play a series of three home games at Donald R. Dizney Stadium versus Texas Aug. 22, UCF Aug. 26, and Miami Aug. 29.

Afterward, they travel to face the NCAA Runner-Up Seminoles in Tallahassee on Sept 2. Going back down south, the Gators take on Florida Gulf Coast Sept. 5 in Fort Myers.

Then, a big home game goes down Sept. 9 when the NCAA semifinalist North Carolina comes to Gainesville for the first time in the regular season since 1998.

After beginning conference play with the Vanderbilt Commodores, the Gators wrap up non-conference play against North Florida on Sept. 19.

Florida’s SEC schedule

The challenging schedule continues when the Gators play SEC Tournament defending champion Vanderbilt in Nashville on Sept. 17. The full conference schedule is as follows:

Sept. 17 at Vanderbilt

Sept. 24 Kentucky

Sept. 26 at Mississippi State

Oct. 3 Mississippi

Oct. 7 at Tennessee

Oct. 10 Missouri

Oct. 17 at Auburn

Oct. 21 at Georgia

Oct. 24 LSU

Oct. 28 South Carolina

SEC Tournament play goes from Oct. 31 to Nov. 7 in Orange Beach, Alabama. 

The Gators return their third and fourth highest scorers in Madison Alexander and Maddy Rhodes.