Florida’s comments about playing Miami football team in future is posturing
A report that emerged on Thursday stated that Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin is open to the Gators and Miami football program scheduling a series beyond the teams’ 2019 season opener in Orlando.
The Florida Gators have not played against the Miami football team since a 21-16 Hurricanes victory in week two of the 2013 season. That was Miami and Florida’s meeting since 2008. The Hurricanes and Gators have only played six times since 1987. The 1987 meeting ended a 50 year stretch of 49 games between UF and UM.
The August 24 game between Florida and Miami will have the eyes of the entire nation of college football followers watching. Arizona and Hawaii is the only other FBS game scheduled to be played the same day. If the game creates the excitement it’s expected to the discussions scheduling a future series should happen.
For most of the 49 years, Miami and Florida played nearly annually the Gators were the Hurricanes biggest rival. Contentiousness between the programs and expansion in the SEC was the cause behind the end of one of college football’s greatest in-state rivalries. Florida essentially chose Florida State over Miami.
Choosing to continue their rivalry with the other of the two preeminent state schools in Florida was not surprising. Miami, Florida and Florida State constitute the best three-way rivalry in the country. If the Florida and Miami football programs are not going to play annually they certainly should play every few years.
Stricklin and Florida head coach Dan Mullen spoke about the possibility of scheduling a series between the Hurricanes and Gators in the future. Mullen wants to see what kind of interest the game generates among the fans. Stricklin believes that the Florida-Florida State game has built complacency.
"“Not the result of the game,…But I just want to see what the actual excitement around the game is, what it means to different people.”"
What Mullen really means is what kind of excitement around the game the Gators fan base has. Many Florida fans have downplayed the meeting with the Hurricanes by disrespecting the Hurricanes past. Stricklin also discussed the possibility of Miami and Florida scheduling more games.
"“We’re open as we go down the road to periodically playing them. I don’t know that we’d want to make it an every-year thing. I think our FSU series shows that when you do something like that every year, people take it for granted. When we do play Miami, I want it to be something people look forward to.”"
Stricklin’s comments are typical posturing by an athletic administrator. Any complacency that may have taken place from Florida and Florida State games have likely come from the mediocrity both programs have faced over the last few seasons. The same could be said for Miami.
A win against a rival in a down year gives a fan base something to be proud of. Miami athletic director Blake James and head coach Manny Diaz have not spoken about the possibility of the Hurricanes and Gators scheduling any future games beyond the 2019 season opener.
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As the season draws closer, Diaz and James are likely to discuss the possibility of future games, particularly with Florida, frequently. Miami has dominated the series in the 21st century. The Hurricanes victory in the Sugar Bowl to bring in 2001 began a six-game winning streak over the Gators. UM has stretched that to seven of eight