Florida basketball expected to open 2026-27 campaign against Miami

Florida basketball is expected to open its 2026-27 season with an in-state rival. The Gators will face rival Miami in Tampa at Benchmark International Arena on Nov. 2 for the season opener, which was first reported by the Associated Press.

The rematch between the Gators and Hurricanes will be part of a doubleheader with Florida State and Florida A&M. A source confirmed the news to the Gainesville Sun, however the game has not been finalized. Hoops news: Florida and Miami will tip off the 2026-27 season in Tampa as part of a doubleheader with FAMU and Florida State.

FAMU and FSU haven’t played since a brawl involving Sam Cassell in 1991. — Mark Long (@APMarkLong) May 12, 2026 UF defeated Miami 82-68 in Jacksonville last season. Florida head coach Todd Golden told media during his first postseason press conference that future matchups against the Hurricanes seemed likely.

“You have teams like Miami, where I think Jai (Lucas) is doing a great job,” Golden said. “He’s formulated a really good roster and he’s in a position that I kind of feel like I was in at San Francsico from the standpoint of you have a really good team and you want to play the best because it’s a win-win. So they’d want to play us and they’d have a chance to team us.