Florida, Miami to open 2019 season in Orlando Citrus Bowl

By Adam Silverstein
April 26, 2016
Florida, Miami to open 2019 season in Orlando Citrus Bowl
Football

Image Credit: ESPN Images

Six years following their last meeting, theFlorida Gators and Miami Hurricanes will play football again – in a venue that makes all too much sense for both teams.

Florida and Miami have agreed to open the 2019 season at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando as part of the annual Camping World Kickoff series in a game that will air live on an ESPN network. The date has not been released, but it will more than likely be Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019. The announcement coincided with a new name being announced for the venue, Camping World Stadium.

It will be the Gators’ second season-opening neutral-site game in three seasons with Florida scheduled to take on Michigan in Arlington, Texas, to kick off 2017.

“We are pleased to have partnered with Florida Citrus Sports and ESPN Events to kick off the 2019 season against Miami,” UF athletic director Jeremy Foley said via a release. “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.”

Orlando’s Citrus Bowl, which has already agreed to terms with Florida State and Ole Miss for 2016 and Alabama and Louisville for 2018, always made perfect sense as the venue for UF and UM to play their next game.

Not only is the renovated stadium located between both colleges, the neutral-site game will allow the Gators to bring home a substantial check, making it more palatable for the athletic department to give up what would otherwise be a home game.

Miami is 29-26 all-time against Florida with the Canes defeating the Gators in seven of their last eight meetings, most recently in 2013 (21-16). UF’s sole win in the series since 1985 came during its national championship season of 2008 (26-3).

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