For the ninth time in the last 11 years, the Florida Gators football program is bowl bound. The Florida Gators (7-5, 4-4 SEC) will face Tulane (9-4, 7-1 AAC) out of the American Athletic Conference in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Fla. on Friday, Dec. 20 at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN.
The game will be the second appearance for the Gators in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. In 2021, Florida lost to UCF, 29-17.
The bowl will mark the 22nd game against the Green Wave in program history dating back to 1915. The Gators hold a record of 13-6-2 against Tulane all-time, with the last meeting coming back in 1985. The game will mark the third time the teams have played in Tampa, with the programs splitting those two contests (1920, 1969). Florida has won the last 11 games against the Green Wave.
Tulane, led by head coach Jon Sumrall, finished 2nd place in the American Athletic conference after losing to No.24 Army in the conference championship game. The Green Wave got off to a rough start, losing to Kansas State and Oklahoma in weeks two and three of the 2024 season. However, they responded with eight straight wins. Tulane has lost back-to-back games against Memphis and Army.
Florida cliched a bowl game behind three consecutive wins to end the season including home victories over LSU and Ole Miss. In September, it looked as if Florida’s chances of going bowling were slim, but a defensive turnaround and spark from freshman quarterback DJ Lagway led the Gators to a strong finish.