The Florida Gators men’s basketball non-conference schedule gets a little harder, as they are slated against the Miami Hurricanes in Tampa to begin the 2026-27 season, according to the Associated Press’ Mark Long.
These two are expected to open their seasons on Nov. 2 at Benchmark International Arena, according to 247Sports’ Graham Hall. It is the second straight year that the Gators and Hurricanes will play each other.
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The contest between the Hurricanes and the Gators is not the only matchup taking place in Tampa, though, with in-state rival Florida State facing FAMU.
When Florida and Miami last took the court, the Gators cruised to an 82-68 victory. Florida had four players in double figures in this game, with forward/center Alex Condon leading the way with 19 points.
Florida Gators forward Alex Condon scored 19 points in last year’s win over Miami. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Despite a slow first six minutes for the Gators, the defending national champions turned the tide in their favor over the next 14 minutes behind the efforts of Condon and forward Thomas Haugh. The duo combined for 23 points in the first 20 minutes, helping their team surge to a 39-29 advantage at the break.
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Miami did land a punch of their own to begin the second half, cutting the deficit to three points, but the Gators weathered the storm. Thanks to a triple from Urban Klavzar and the old-fashioned three-pointer from Haugh a few minutes later, Florida pushed its lead to 13 points heading into the contest’s final nine minutes.
The Gators never looked back from there. Through defensive determination and offensive shot-making, the Gators dominated the Hurricanes, 82-68.
The game also marks the third straight game Florida plays in Benchmark International Arena after Florida faced Prairie View A&M and Iowa in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament last season.
Florida’s 2026-27 non-conference schedule is still rounding out, as the offseason is somewhat fresh. However, the projected preseason No. 1 team in the country is playing in the Players Era Tournament this year, which includes several high-profile programs. Some of those involved are Auburn, Houston and Kansas.
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Gators head coach Todd Golden is also expecting to schedule several other talented teams outside of the Players Era Tournament for the upcoming season.
“So we want to play some good games, for sure,” he said. “We’re playing in the Players Era, so that’s 3-4 really good games right there. And we’ll play a couple more really tough opponents in preparation (for SEC play), to your point. It did not feel good being 5-4, but it definitely benefited us and allowed us to be prepared to win the league. So, somewhere in between.”
However, the Gators’ head coach revealed it has not been easy getting those types of programs on the schedule.
“There’s a lot of teams that don’t (want to play Florida),” he said. “So we gotta find the right programs and the right teams to play that make sense for us, that provide a good competitive game and will help us prepare for SEC play.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/florida as Florida Gators Basketball’s 2026-27 Season-Opener Revealed.
