The good news? It appears a classic in-state rivalry will continue in some form or fashion into the future. The bad? You’ll likely have to go off-campus to see it.
Miami athletic director Blake James confirmed to the Miami Herald that his counterpart at Florida, Jeremy Foley, “was receptive when James asked him recently about renewing the... series” between the two football programs. This news comes eight months after it was reported that a Florida source stated "[u]nless Miami joins the SEC, I don’t see us ever playing them again during the regular season. It’s just not worth it.”
The only stipulation in continuing the series would be, as Foley stated back in November and head coach Will Muschamp reiterated earlier this offseason, is that the games be played at neutral site locations. For James, one location makes sense for both schools.
“I would have to think about Orlando,” James said. “That’s not real neutral but it’s an easy distance to our campus.”
Orlando is roughly 115 miles from Gainesville and 230 from Miami. Tampa (130 from Gainesville, 250 from Miami) might be another possibility.
The Gators and Hurricanes have met 55 times since the first game in 1938, with the latter holding a 29-26 edge in the sporadic (of late) series. The ‘Canes, in fact, have won seven of the last eight, with the Gators’ last win prior to their 26-3 triumph in 2008 way back in 1985.
Both of the teams maintain annual rivalry games with Florida State, with UF announcing earlier this year that it had extended its home-and-home series with FSU through the 2018 season.
(Tip O’ the Cap: FBSchedules.com)