The Swamp will officially be back this fall. In just months, fans will be arm-in-arm 90,000 deep singing “We Are the Boys” once again.
In response to new CDC guidelines and dropping COVID-19 cases around the country, the University of Florida announced on Monday that athletic events will return to full capacity on June 28.
Along with the updated attendance ruling, masks are no longer required on campus (effective immediately), though they are still recommended for non-vaccinated attendees.
With other programs recently announcing intentions of returning to normal operations, it was only a matter of time before Florida followed suit. All specifics aside, a return to normalcy is finally in sight.
As we look forward to tailgates, sellout crowds and all of the things that make college football great, we’re picking three must-see games for Florida fans in The Swamp this season.
The Gators don’t exactly have a home schedule in 2021 that would make anyone want to run through a brick wall (outside of one obvious game), but any football in person is better than the alternative.
1. Alabama
This is that obvious game. The one fans, coaches and players alike immediately circled when the SEC revealed schedules months ago.
Following an SEC Championship Game thriller, the Gators and Crimson Tide rematch to open conference play.
Florida won’t have much of a warmup before facing the defending national champions in Week 3. Dan Mullen will have to do enough fine-tuning against FAU and USF before the Tide come to town.
Then again, it is better to play Alabama before it becomes the well-oiled machine that it typically is by the end of the season. And if the Gators are in playoff contention, the committee tends to be more forgiving to early losses.
Florida certainly does not enter this game expecting to take an L, though. It gave Nick Saban’s team its only true threat in the 2020 season with a 52-46 shootout. The Tide defeated every other opponent it faced by at least three scores.
The teams that will meet this season are vastly different. Both will start new quarterbacks, with Kyle Trask and Mac Jones entering their NFL careers. Alabama had six players selected in the first round of the draft, but it always manages to reload with five-star talent.
One thing is for sure, the stadium will be rocking on September 18. Pure talent might not be enough to escape that environment.
2. Florida State
After putting a pause on the storied rivalry due to an SEC-only schedule last season, this should be another incredible atmosphere. The Gators and Seminoles will close out the regular season in Gainesville on November 27.
Florida absolutely demolished FSU the last time the two teams met, with a 40-17 win in 2019. That game was at home as well, but rather than rearranging the schedule to accommodate for last season’s cancellation, the Gators came away with hosting back-to-back meetings.
The Seminoles finished last season with a 3-6 overall record and did not win a single road game in 2020. There remains a glimmer of hope for FSU under Mike Norvell with young quarterbacks stepping up this offseason to complement UCF transfer McKenzie Milton.
Whether the Seminoles come to town winless or on the brink of a turnaround, fans are starving for the renewal of one of the sport’s greatest rivalries.
3. Tennessee
Florida plays Tennessee the weekend after Alabama, so it will either be riding a high or looking to bounce back. Either way, it is a matchup that can’t be overlooked if the Gators want to make it back to Atlanta.
After this game in Week 4, only Vanderbilt remains on the SEC home slate.
The Gators defeated the 3-7 Vols 31-19 in Knoxville last season. Tennessee has had a rather turbulent offseason, and doesn’t necessarily appear to be off to a blazing resurgence under new head coach Josh Heupel.
Nevertheless, Florida fans are always up for a classic beatdown of Tennessee.