Athletics director Michael Alford expressed confidence about the future of the Florida State-Florida rivalry as future football non-conference scheduling shifts with the SEC moving to nine league games in 2026.
“It's such a great rivalry in collegiate athletics, and it means so much to not only both institutions, but the state and really college football,” Alford told the Osceola after Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting. “That game means a lot to college football, so we're going to do everything we can to preserve it. … That rivalry is just too strong for anything to move it.”
Alford has known Florida AD Scott Stricklin for decades, even dating back to when he played baseball at Mississippi State and Stricklin was working there in the sports information department. Stricklin has sent an encouraging message to Florida fans about the rivalry in an email on Tuesday.
“This change will require adjustments to our future non-conference schedules, but it also means that with nine SEC games plus our annual rivalry with Florida State, the Gators will be competing in 10 Power 4 matchups every year,” Stricklin wrote.
As FSU welcomes No. 8 Alabama to Tallahassee on Saturday, it’s the midpoint of an ambitious schedule with SEC opponents (the majority of which were arranged by then-FSU AD David Coburn). FSU played a pair of neutral-site games against LSU in 2022-23, faces Alabama in a home-and-home series (2025-26) and then Georgia in another home and home series (2027-28).
Alford also feels confident in FSU playing at Alabama in 2026. The Crimson Tide and West Virginia on Tuesday canceled a home-and-home agreement, so Alabama will face FSU, South Florida and East Carolina in 2026.
But Alford said “it’s too soon” to know how the Georgia series could be impacted. The Bulldogs have an annual matchup with Georgia Tech.
National media have reported the ACC could soon follow the SEC’s lead and move from an eight-game league schedule to a nine-game slate. Alford said he has had discussions with ACC commissioner Jim Phillips about a “9-1” format, which would have FSU playing nine ACC games and one game against a Power 4 opponent.
FSU has played 10 games against power conference opponents (as well as Notre Dame) with consistency on an annual basis. The non-conference schedule includes 10 power conference teams through 2030, which also factors in matchups against Notre Dame in 2026, 2029, 2030 and 2032.
“We're going to look to challenge ourselves with the top programs in the country,” Alford said. “That's something I got to make sure in our discussions with the ACC that we preserve that one, that opportunity. But if we go to a 9-1, what does that mean?”
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