After a few months of reportedly being close to an agreement, a pair of in-state rivals have agreed to renew their series -- for one game, anyway.
In a press release Tuesday afternoon, Florida confirmed that it will open the 2019 football season against Miami. The release adds that "[t]he Camping World Kickoff is scheduled for college football’s opening weekend at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, which as part of a new naming rights deal, will be known as Camping World Stadium starting Wednesday.”
A specific date and time has yet to be set.
“We are pleased to have partnered with Florida Citrus Sports and ESPN Events to kick off the 2019 season against Miami,’' a statement from UF athletic director Jeremy Foley began. “Orlando is a great Gator city and we look forward to playing in front of our fans from all over the state of Florida and beyond.”
” We are excited to have this opportunity to play the University of Florida in Orlando,” Foley’s counterpart, Blake James, said in his statement. “There have been so many memorable games between our two institutions and I am confident that all of our alumni and fans will enjoy seeing the two teams square off in the Citrus Bowl. I would like to thank Steve Hogan and Florida Citrus Sports, ESPN events and our game sponsor, Camping World for making this game a reality.”
While the Gators and Hurricanes have played 55 times in their history, and every year from 1944-87, they’ve met just six times since 1987. The last meeting came in 2013, a Miami win that stretched The U’s edge in the all-time series to 29-26.
