Where is Florida Predicted to Finish in the SEC in 2026?

The SEC on Friday released the media's predicted order of finish for the 2026 season, with the Florida Gators coming in at ninth out of the league's 16 teams.

Florida received 1,217 total points, coming ahead of Missouri (1,105) and trailing Tennessee (1,320). Meanwhile, Georgia (2,519) was predicted to win the SEC for the third-straight season. The full predicted order of finish can be found below.

Georgia (2,519)
Texas (2,449)
Ole Miss (2,004)
Texas A&M (1,967)
LSU (1,961)
Alabama (1,930)
Oklahoma (1,914)
Tennessee (1,320)
Florida (1,217)
Missouri (1,105)
South Carolina (956)
Auburn (936)
Vanderbilt (751)
Kentucky (546)
Mississippi State (467)
Arkansas (262)

Of note, out of the six SEC teams with new head coaches (Ole Miss, Pete Golding; LSU, Lane Kiffin; Auburn, Alex Golesh; Kentucky, Will Stein; Arkansas, Ryan Silverfield), the Gators come in at third. Additionally, in its nine-game SEC schedule, Florida is set to face four teams (Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, Oklahoma) predicted to finish ahead of them, including the league's top three teams, and five teams ranked behind them (Missouri, South Carolina, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Kentucky).

Stepping into his first SEC head coaching job as the league moves to a nine-game schedule, head coach Jon Sumrall gave his thoughts on Florida's upcoming schedule at SEC Media Day.

"I wasn't in the room when those conversations were had. I wasn't in this league yet. We're gonna play anybody, anywhere, anytime," he said. "Whoever they put on our schedule, we're gonna play. I'm not gonna whine and complain about being an SEC head football coach."

Florida opens the season on Sept. 5 against FAU before opening SEC play on the road at Auburn on Sept. 19, marking the first road matchup against the Tigers since 2011.

Florida Gators' 2026 Schedule

Sept. 5: FAU (7:45 p.m., SEC Network)
Sept. 12: Campbell (5:30 p.m., SEC Network+)
Sept. 19: @ Auburn (7 p.m., ESPN)
Sept. 26: Ole Miss (3:30-4:30 p.m. OR 6-8 p.m., TBD)
Oct. 3: @ Missouri (3:30-4:30 p.m. OR 6-8 p.m., TBD)
Oct. 10: South Carolina (Noon or 1 p.m. ET, TBD)
Oct. 17: @ Texas (Noon or 1 p.m. ET, TBD)
Oct. 31: vs. Georgia (Atlanta) (3:30 p.m., ABC)
Nov. 7: Oklahoma (3:30-4:30 p.m. OR 6-8 p.m., TBD)
Nov. 14: @ Kentucky (6-8 p.m., TBD)
Nov. 21: Vanderbilt (Noon or 1 p.m., TBD)
Nov. 27: @ Florida State (3:30 p.m., ABC)

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