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It’s all fans on deck in Gainesville. With one of the busiest weekends of Florida’s athletic calendar on tap, there is plenty of excitement in The Swamp. As the brisk wintery air turns into the blossoming spring, nearly every major Gators winter or spring sport will be fighting for a win between Feb. 28 to March 2. Here’s what you should know about the who, when and where in action this weekend.
Florida Gators Basketball (Saturday and Sunday)
The Gators begin the final stretch of the regular season with matchups against foes from deep in the heart of Texas. The No. 3 men’s basketball squad (24-3, 11-3 SEC) takes on No. 12 Texas A&M (20-7, 9-5) at home on Saturday, while the women’s basketball team (14-14, 5-9 SEC) travels to Austin to face the No. 1 Texas Longhorns (27-2, 13-1) on Sunday.
The anticipation and tension could not be any higher for the men, as a crucial matchup is on the slate in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. For the Gators, a win against another top-15 team would be massive to keeping Florida on the top seed line come March. As for Texas A&M, it comes into Gainesville desperate for a big win after falling at home 77-69 to No. 6 Tennessee. Tipoff is at 8:30 p.m.
As if the marquee matchup was not significant enough, ESPN’s College Gameday will be in Gainesville for the first time since 2017. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. for students (Gate 3), with show taping starting at 10.
Next stop: Gainesville ‼️ pic.twitter.com/4vf84rYmXy
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) February 22, 2025
On the women’s side, Florida will look to play spoiler against top-ranked Texas when it travels to Austin on Sunday. The Gators nearly did the same to No. 11 Tennessee on Sunday in the O Dome, but couldn’t seal the upset bid, falling 86-78. The Longhorns aim to defend their first No. 1 ranking in 21 years. Tipoff is at 2 p.m.
Florida Gators Baseball (Friday-Sunday)
After a sweep of Dayton last weekend, No. 8 (USA Today Coaches Poll) Florida baseball stays home for a three-game tilt with in-state foe Miami. The Gators swept the Flyers, run ruling them each game — the first run-rule sweep in the baseball program’s history. Strong pitching and dominant performances from junior infielder Cade Kurland and SEC Freshman of the Week infielder Brendan Lawson catapulted the Gators past the Flyers to cement an undefeated start.
🏆 SEC Freshman of the Week 🏆
🗞️ https://t.co/inmrJ86njw | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/5oWJL0KruX
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) February 24, 2025
Miami also started strong at 7-1, but faltered with a shocking 2-1 loss to FAU on Feb. 18. The Hurricanes most recently swept a four-game series at home against Princeton, bouncing back from the mid-week loss.
The three-game clash between the Sunshine State adversaries begins on Friday with a first pitch of 6:30 p.m., continuing on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Florida Gators Softball (Friday-Sunday)
Domination is the only word that fits what No. 3 Gators softball (18-1) has done thus far this season. Florida flew home from Tempe, Arizona, this weekend feeling fulfilled after going undefeated in the Sun Devil Classic with a run differential of 62-9. To close out the tournament, UF set a new record with a 24-3 win over Iowa State — the largest margin of victory in Gators softball history. Sophomore third baseman Kenleigh Cahalan was named NFCA National Player of the Week as she went 7-of-14 with three home runs and 13 RBIS during the tournament.
https://twitter.com/GatorsSB/status/1893741094707384469
Now, the Gators will turn their attention to another busy weekend, hosting Samford, Troy, Western Michigan and Florida A&M in the Florida Invitational. UF will face Samford on Friday at 5:30 p.m., Troy at 11:30 a.m. and Western Michigan at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, along with FAMU at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Florida Gators Gymnastics (Friday)
It’s been a rough stretch for No. 6 Florida gymnastics (7-3, 2-3 SEC) recently, losing two of its last three matchups. After being upset by No. 15 Arkansas and falling to No. 1 Oklahoma, things have gotten worse for the Gators. Against the Sooners on Feb. 21, both sophomore Anya Pilgrim (head) and senior Sloane Blakely (lower leg) suffered injuries.
Pilgrim is expected to return on uneven bars and balance beam when the Gators meet with No. 8 Missouri (11-3, 3-2 SEC) on Friday night, however the news for Blakely is not as pleasant. The senior has been seen in a boot after planting wrong during her floor performance on Friday. It is speculated that the injury is season-ending, meaning Florida will be without one of its biggest leaders the rest of the way.
Other Sports in Action
Many other Gators athletes will take part in their respective sports throughout the weekend. Gators men’s tennis (7-4, 2-0 SEC) will conclude what’s been a five-match homestand when the Kentucky Wildcats (8-3, 1-0) and the No. 4 Texas Longhorns (11-2, 2-0) come to Gainesville on Friday (5 p.m.) and Sunday (12 p.m.), respectively. Florida women’s tennis (3-3, 0-1 SEC) will take a weekend trip to Columbia, South Carolina to face South Carolina (5-4, o-1) on Friday and No. 2 Georgia (8-1, 1-0) in Athens on Sunday.
Gators men’s and women’s swim and dive will host the Florida Invitational over the weekend, with prelims beginning on Thursday and the final events taking place on Saturday. Florida were runner-ups in the SEC Championships last week for both men’s and women’s, ending long streaks of conference tournament dominance. The Gators rank No. 6 on the men’s side and No. 5 on the women’s side heading into the invitational.
Florida’s indoor track and field team will take part in the SEC Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas, on Friday and Saturday. The Gators are looking for their first SEC Championship since the men’s team won in 2019. No. 5 Florida lacrosse (3-1) is tee’d up for a matchup with James Madison in Charlotte at 11 a.m. Lastly, No. 14 Florida men’s golf will take place in the Southern Highlands Collegiate Tournament in Las Vegas on Sunday, closing out the exciting weekend for Florida athletics.
