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Gators Basketball Adds Exhibition Game Ahead of 2026-27 Season

Ahead of Florida's season opener against Miami on Nov. 3, the Gators will play a Big 12 opponent in an exhibition game. Here's what to know.
Kyle Lander|
Ahead of Florida's season opener against Miami on Nov. 3, the Gators will play a Big 12 opponent in an exhibition game.
Ahead of Florida's season opener against Miami on Nov. 3, the Gators will play a Big 12 opponent in an exhibition game. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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The Florida Gators men’s basketball team has added an exhibition game against Baylor before the start of the 2026-27 campaign, the Gators announced Tuesday. The teams will play on Sunday, Oct. 18.

Intersport also announced Tuesday that the contest will be hosted in Jacksonville at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Tip time and television information have not been revealed, but it is expected in the coming weeks. 

It is Florida's first exhibition game since 2021 and the first against a Division I opponent since taking down Jacksonville University in 2017. 

The Gators enter the upcoming season as a national title preseason contender. However, several high-profile opponents stand in their way before they can even think about seeing the confetti drop. 

In the non-conference, Florida has scheduled Miami and Duke. The Gators begin their season on Nov. 2 with the Hurricanes in Tampa, Fla., and will host the Blue Devils for the SEC-ACC Challenge on Dec. 1. 

They also have the chance to face Houston, Auburn and Kansas in the Players Era mid-season tournament in Las Vegas, which takes place from No. 17-19. 

Another interesting opponent on the Gators' non-conference schedule is the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Florida has played Georgia Tech once in the past 50 years, winning that contest 80-69 in Gainesville on Nov. 23, 1987. 

They were one of the two final matchups added to the schedule, with the Gators taking on the Yellow Jackets in the Hall of Fame Series Orlando on Dec. 12.

As for the SEC gauntlet, the Gators have Texas (2x), Vanderbilt, Alabama, Tennessee, Auburn, Missouri, Arkansas and Kentucky on the docket, among other SEC opponents. 

What gives the media and fans hope that the Gators will navigate this difficult 2026-27 schedule is the quality of returning players. 

Florida returns its star frontcourt from last season, as Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu all opted against beginning their professional careers this summer. 

Additionally, the Gators are getting Boogie Fland, Isaiah Brown, AJ Brown, Urban Klavzar, CJ Ingram II and Alex Lloyd back for another year. 

There is one more piece that could push the Gators even further. Former Gator and Kentucky Wildcat guard Denzel Aberdeen transferred back to Gainesville this offseason, but has yet to be deemed eligible for the 2026-27 campaign. 

A Colorado court ruling originally granted Aberdeen a fifth year, but the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the NCAA a stay of the initial court ruling that made him ineligible once again.

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Kyle Lander
KYLE LANDER

Kyle Lander is a contributing writer at Florida Gators on SI. He is also a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. On top of his writing, Kyle is a photographer for the site as well. Outside of his work with Florida Gators on SI, he likes to hike, travel, watch movies and hang out with family and friends.

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