Gators' First Opponent for Players Era Tournament Released

Florida is one of eight teams that are participating in the Players Era Eight Tournament from Nov. 17-19.

Florida is one of eight teams that are participating in the Players Era Eight Tournament from Nov. 17-19. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Having already been announced as one of the eight teams in the Players Era Eight tournament in the 2026-27 season, the Florida Gators now know who its first opponent in Las Vegas will be.

The Gators, the likely preseason No. 1 team in the country, will face Notre Dame on Nov. 17, with the winner facing the winner of Houston-Rutgers on Nov. 18 in the semifinals. The full slate of games, which will happen from Nov. 17-19 and also includes Kansas, UNLV, West Virginia and Auburn, can be found below.

All games will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks. Specific start times and television designations will be announced at a later date.

The Players Era 8 bracket is LIVE ‼️

🗓️ November 17-19
🏟️ Michelob ULTRA Arena
📍 Las Vegas, NV pic.twitter.com/gzO32WO6BB

— Players Era (@Players_Era) May 21, 2026

Next season's matchup against the Fighting Irish marks the first matchup all-time between Florida and Notre Dame.

The Players Era Tournament, which also includes a 16-team bracket that will take place the week after the eight-team bracket, comes with a twist, as NIL prize money is awarded to the winner. Additionally, each school will receive money in NIL opportunities, with the average payout for all 24 participants slightly above $1 million, according to CBS Sports.

Kansas, who is on the opposite side of Florida's bracket, will reportedly be paid the most.

Gators' 2026-27 Non-Conference Schedule

In addition to Florida's slate in the Players Era Eight, the Gators are slated to face rival Miami on Nov. 2 in Tampa to open the 2026 season. Florida also has a matchup at Florida State, which has not had a date announced, and has its yearly ACC/SEC Men's Challenge opponent, which will be announced at a later date.

This offseason, head coach Todd Golden said Florida was looking to find a balance between the 2024-25 schedule and the 2025-26 schedule for this year's non-conference stretch. In 2024, Florida had a relatively easy non-conference schedule and started the season 13-0, while last season, the Gators played one of the most difficult schedules in the country and started 5-4.

Golden said Florida will "play some marquee matchups" in addition to its stint in the Players Era Eight.

"There's a lot of teams that don't (want to play Florida," he said. "So we gotta find the right programs and the right teams to play that make sense for us, that provide a good competitive game and will help us prepare for SEC play."

Sign up for our free Florida Gators newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news!