History of Florida Gators football in Timeline

The Florida Gators football program represents the University of Florida, competing in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Their home games are played at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. The Gators have a rich history including multiple national championships and Heisman Trophy winners.

1906: Football Program Established

In 1906, the Florida football program was established along with the University of Florida.

1906: University Established and First Football Team

In 1906, the University of Florida was established in Gainesville and fielded its first official varsity football team in the fall.

1906: First Home Games at The Ballpark

In 1906, the University of Florida's first football and baseball squads played their home games at The Ballpark, a primitive municipal facility near downtown Gainesville.

1911: "Gators" Nickname Adopted

In 1911, the Florida football team adopted the "Gators" nickname.

1911: Purchase and Move to University Athletic Field

In 1911, the school purchased the bleachers from the city and moved them to University Athletic Field.

1912: Joins Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association

In 1912, Florida competed as an independent before joining the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

1912: Bacardi Bowl Game

In 1912, Florida played in the Bacardi Bowl held in Havana, Cuba, which was not sanctioned by the NCAA.

1915: Fleming Field Renaming

In 1915, larger bleachers were installed, and University Athletic Field was renamed Fleming Field.

1922: Moves to Southern Conference

In 1922, the Florida Gators moved to the Southern Conference.

1928: Nation's Top Scoring Squad

In 1928, the Florida Gators had an outstanding season, going 8-1 and leading the nation in scoring.

1930: Florida Field Constructed

In 1930, Florida Field, the newly constructed stadium, became the home of the Gators.

1930: Opening of Florida Field

In 1930, the 20,000 seat Florida Field opened.

1932: Establishes Southeastern Conference (SEC)

In 1932, Florida joined with other schools to establish the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

1932: Founding of the SEC and Schedule Leeway

In 1932, after the SEC was founded, the conference allowed considerable leeway with regard to conference schedules for several decades.

1932: Joins Southeastern Conference

In 1932, the Florida Gators joined the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as a founding member.

1932: Southeastern Conference Founding

In 1932, the Southeastern Conference was founded by thirteen member institutions.

1933: Joins Southeastern Conference

In 1933, Florida's football program became a charter member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which began play that year.

1933: Southeastern Conference Play Begins

In 1933, the Southeastern Conference began play, and for several decades, each member was free to arrange its own conference schedule.

1938: Annual Rivalry with Miami Hurricanes Begins

In 1938, Florida began an annual rivalry with the University of Miami Hurricanes.

1945: Last Game Against Non-Collegiate Opponent

Since 1945, the Gators have not faced off against a non-collegiate opponent.

1947: Florida State Establishes Football Program

In 1947, Florida State (FSU) established a football program.

1958: Annual Game Against Florida State Begins

In 1958, Florida began playing in-state rival Florida State every year.

1958: First Game Against Florida State

In 1958, Florida first faced Florida State, beginning an annual series.

1966: Three Original Members Leave SEC

By 1966, three original members had left the Southeastern Conference.

1966: Steve Spurrier Wins Heisman Trophy

In 1966, Steve Spurrier, the quarterback for the Florida Gators, became the school's first Heisman Trophy winner.

1984: National Champion by Major Selectors

In 1984, Florida was named national champion by NCAA-designated "major selectors".

1984: First SEC Championship Vacated

In 1984, the Gators won their first SEC championship with a conference record of 5–0–1, but the title was vacated several months after the season by the SEC university presidents because of NCAA infractions.

1985: National Champion by Major Selectors

In 1985, Florida was named national champion by NCAA-designated "major selectors".

1985: Ineligible for the SEC Championship

In 1985, the Florida team finished atop the standings with a conference record of 5-1, but the team was ineligible for the championship due to its NCAA probation for rule violations.

1987: Annual Rivalry with Miami Hurricanes Ends

In 1987, the annual rivalry between Florida and the University of Miami Hurricanes ended.

1989: Stadium Renamed to Honor Ben Hill Griffin

In 1989, the stadium's name was extended to "Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium" to honor UF benefactor Ben Hill Griffin.

1990: Spurrier Returns as Head Coach

In 1990, Steve Spurrier returned to his alma mater to become the Gators' head coach.

1990: Ineligible for the SEC Championship

In 1990, the Florida team finished atop the standings with a conference record of 6-1, but the team was ineligible for the championship due to its NCAA probation for rule violations.

1991: Consecutive Bowl Game Appearances Begin

In 1991, Florida began a streak of 22 consecutive bowl-game appearances.

1991: Southeastern Conference Championship

In 1991, the Florida Gators won a Southeastern Conference championship.

1991: First Official SEC Football Championship

In 1991, the Gators won their first official SEC football championship.

1992: Six Members Added to SEC

From 1992 onwards, six members were added to the Southeastern Conference.

1992: Standardized Schedules

In 1992, SEC schedules became standardized when the league split into two divisions.

1992: "The Swamp" Nickname Coined

In 1992, Steve Spurrier coined the stadium's nickname of "The Swamp" early in his tenure as head football coach.

1992: SEC Expansion and Standardized Schedules

In 1992, the SEC expanded to twelve teams, established two divisions, set an eight team conference schedule, plus a championship game between the two division winners, standardizing the schedules further.

1992: SEC Split into Divisions

In 1992, with the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina, the SEC split into eastern and western divisions, and a game between the division winners determined the SEC champion.

1992: Tied for SEC East Title

In the 1992 season, Florida tied with Georgia atop the SEC east and played in the 1992 SEC Championship Game by virtue of its head-to-head victory.

1993: Southeastern Conference Championship

In 1993, the Florida Gators won a Southeastern Conference championship.

1994: Southeastern Conference Championship

In 1994, the Florida Gators won a Southeastern Conference championship.

1995: Southeastern Conference Championship

In 1995, the Florida Gators won a Southeastern Conference championship.

1996: National Championship Win

In 1996, the Florida Gators won a national championship.

2000: Southeastern Conference Championship

In 2000, the Florida Gators won a Southeastern Conference championship.

2003: Three-Way Tie in SEC East

In 2003, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee ended the regular season in a 3-way tie in the SEC East, but Georgia advanced to the 2003 SEC Championship Game due to its higher BCS ranking.

2006: National Championship Win

In 2006, the Florida Gators won a national championship.

2007: Tim Tebow Wins Heisman Trophy

In 2007, Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy.

2008: National Championship Win

In 2008, the Florida Gators won a national championship.

2012: Annual Conference Opponents

From 2012, the Gators' annual conference slate consisted of Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Vanderbilt along with permanent Western Division opponent LSU plus another Western Division team on a rotating schedule.

2012: Tied for SEC East Title

In 2012, Florida and Georgia again tied atop the SEC East but Georgia advanced to the 2012 SEC Championship Game by virtue of its head-to-head victory.

2012: End of Consecutive Bowl Game Appearances

In 2012, Florida's streak of 22 consecutive bowl-game appearances ended.

2016: South Carolina Outside Linebackers Coach

In 2016, Florida Alumni became the Outside Linebackers coach for South Carolina.

2016: Field Renamed to Honor Steve Spurrier

In 2016, the field was rechristened "Steve Spurrier-Florida Field" to honor Gator player and coach Steve Spurrier.

2020: Most Recent SEC Championship Game Appearance

In 2020, Florida made its thirteenth appearance in the SEC Championship Game.

2020: Game Against Florida State Cancelled

In 2020, the annual game between Florida and Florida State was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: Annual Game Against Florida State Interrupted

In 2020, the annual series between Florida and Florida State was interrupted due to COVID-19.

2021: New York Giants Offensive Assistant

In 2021, Florida Alumni became the Offensive Assistant for the New York Giants.

2021: South Carolina Outside Linebackers Coach

In 2021, Florida Alumni was still the Outside Linebackers coach for South Carolina.

2022: FAU Wide Receivers Coach

In 2022, Florida Alumni became the Wide Receivers coach for FAU.

2023: Assistant Secondary Coach for Los Angeles Chargers

In 2023, Florida Alumni became the Assistant Secondary Coach for Los Angeles Chargers.

2023: Auburn Defensive Coordinator

In 2023, Florida Alumni became the Defensive Coordinator for Auburn.

2023: End of the Annual Conference Opponents Schedule

Until 2023, the Gators' annual conference slate consisted of Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Vanderbilt along with permanent Western Division opponent LSU plus another Western Division team on a rotating schedule.

2024: SEC Expansion and Abolishment of Divisions

In 2024, the SEC expanded to 16 schools and abolished divisions, keeping the eight game conference slate and retaining most annual rivalries.

2024: SEC Expansion and New Scheduling Formula

In 2024, the SEC expanded to 16 teams, abolished divisions, and devised a new scheduling formula.

2024: Records as of the end of the 2024 season.

In 2024, the records are accounted to the end of the 2024 season.

2024: SEC Eliminates Divisions

In 2024, with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC, the conference eliminated divisions.

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