The 2023 Gator football team will be on center stage early and often. (Photo by Neil Shulman, In All Kinds Of Weather)
The Gator football team will be on display in front of a national audience early and often in 2023.
Kickoff times for each of the first four games of the 2023 Gator football season have been set, and all four will see the Gators taking the field in prime time. The Gators’ season opener against Utah on Thursday, August 31, will get underway at 8pm on ESPN. In each of the next three weeks, the Gators will be hosting opponents under the lights in the Swamp.
Florida’s home opener against McNeese on September 9th is slated for a 7:30pm kickoff on ESPNU. The following week, on September 16th, the Gators will open SEC play against SEC East rival Tennessee at 7:00pm on ESPN. Rounding out the Gator football team’s three-game home stand is a home tilt against Charlotte on September 30th. That game will get underway at 7:00pm and stream on SECN+.
The Gators continuing to host early season night games is nothing new. The September heat has led to problems before, and plus, Florida has a name brand opponent in Tennessee coming to visit. However, it’s still nice to get this information so far in advance; now, people can make plans for these weekends accordingly.
In addition, the SEC on CBS is grabbing the rights to one final Cocktail Party. For the 21st and final year in a row, CBS selected the Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville on October 28th. CBS is losing its rights to the SEC after this season, when a massive deal with ESPN goes into effect beginning in 2024.
Although much is still unknown about the 2023 Gator football team, for better or worse, we at least know one thing. There will be a lot of eyes on Billy Napier’s club in his second season. Let’s hope he capitalizes, and puts a product on the field that we can all be proud of.
