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Despite it being the off-season, the Gators have exciting news with upcoming games and national signing day with Head Coach Billy Napier talking to the media soon. Let’s go over all of it.
Rival Game Switch Up
The Atlantic Coast Conference and Florida State just switched their 2022 Sunshine State rivalry game to the evening of Nov. 25. The Florida Gators will be playing on Black Friday at the Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. Traditionally, this match-up is played the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but considering more college games have been moving to Friday nights and receiving positive feedback, TV networks are happy to hear it.
This marks Florida’s first regular-season matchup not on a Saturday since they played Mississippi State on Oct. 1, 1992. Their last regular-season Friday night game was against Tulane in 1961 where they won 14-3 in New Orleans. This game will also be the 66th time the Seminoles and Gators come head-to-head dating back to 1958. After overthrowing the Seminoles 24-21 in the Swamp last season, the Gators lead the all-time series with a 37-26-2 record.
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Napier Has High Hopes for National Signing Day
On Feb. 2, there will be a press conference taking place on the third floor of the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with Billy Napier as he talks about National Signing Day and more. This conference will start at 3:45 pm and can be streamed via Youtube. Napier has been a promising coach at many schools including Clemson, Alabama, and the University of Louisiana. In hopes to continue his success, he has been consistently making hirings all offseason and recruiting new players.
There are several top targets he is trying to reel in. Harold Perkins, a five-star linebacker, is currently deciding between Florida, LSU, and Texas A & M. Jacoby Matthews, a five-star safety, is also deciding between the same colleges as Perkins. As for the four-star runningback, TreVonte’ Citizen, he is debating between Florida, Auburn, LSU, and the University of Miami. As these top players are in decision mode, Florida awaits its’ fate tomorrow afternoon.
Napier’s debut begins Sept. 3 at home against defending PAC-12 champion Utah.
Orange and Blue Game is Back After Two-Year Hiatus
The Florida Gators just announced their plans on Monday about their spring scrimmage game. This game will be held on April 16th at 1 pm at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Napier plans to unveil individualized development plans for every player to use as a guide throughout their offseason. He also plans to incorporate a two-part workout with weights and team runs to prep for this game.
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Gator Sports Properties Announces New Sponsor
The Florida Gators sports properties just announced Gator Collective as a new sponsor. This third-party entity will allow fans to compensate athletes for their name, image, and likeness. This will provide fans with experiences with their favorite Gator athletes.
