Which bowl game does The Athletic predict for Florida football?
The Athletic projects Florida to return to bowl season in Jon Sumrall's first year, with an in-state matchup against an ACC foe.
In Jon Sumrall's inaugural year as Florida's head coach, The Athletic predicts the Gators will once again participate in a bowl game. Scott Dochterman, using his knowledge of the upcoming 2026 season, projects Florida facing Duke in the Gasparilla Bowl on December 18th in Tampa. This matchup would grant Florida the home-field advantage. The Athletic has previously noted Florida's two appearances in the Gasparilla Bowl, losing to UCF in 2021 and defeating Dochterman's former team, Tulane, in 2024.
Dochterman also entertains the idea of Steve Spurrier flipping the coin between two former programs he coached: Florida and Duke. Despite Sumrall's aspiration for an upper-tier bowl selection or even a College Football Playoff berth, achieving bowl eligibility would signify improvement for Florida in its first year under the new coach.
According to The Athletic's Seth Emerson, Florida's projected finish for 2026 is 7-5, though a victory over eight to ten teams isn't entirely out of reach. Dochterman foresees four SEC teams securing spots in the College Football Playoff: Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas. Three of these teams are on Florida's 2026 schedule, with Alabama being the exception.
In terms of potential bowl destinations, Dochterman projects Ole Miss heading to the Citrus Bowl, LSU to the Las Vegas Bowl, Tennessee to the ReliaQuest Bowl, and Auburn to the Music City Bowl.
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