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Gators ACC/SEC Challenge Opponent/Date Revealed

The Florida Gators basketball opponent in the ACC/SEC Challenge has a familiar face.
Kyle Lander|
Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr.
Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. | Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

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Florida Gators

For the second year in a row, the Florida Gators will face off against the Virginia Cavaliers. This time it will be in the ACC/SEC Challenge on December 4th.

Florida will welcome Virginia into Gainesville next season after the two traveled to Charlotte, N.C. last year for an early-season matchup, which the Gators lost. 

The Gators squared off against the Cavaliers in last year’s Hall of Fame Series but fell to their ACC opponents 73-70. However, they were slightly handicapped due to starting point guard Zyon Pullin having been suspended to start the year.

In school history, Florida has played Virginia a total of four times, including the game from last year. Their series is tied 2-2.

Before last year, Florida had won the two most-recent matchups, and both were in the NCAA Tournament. 

The more recent of the two took place in 2017. Florida won this game 65-39 behind Devin Robinson and Justin Leon’s double-doubles. 

Florida’s other win over Virginia came in 2012. That year, they won 71-45 over the Cavaliers. In this game, they were led by current Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal. Beal scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in this game. 

However, they lost their first matchup against the Cavaliers 62-56 back in 1992. 

The ACC/SEC Challenge is new, and only began last year. The introduction of this challenge ended the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and the SEC/Big Ten Challenge that took place in the past. 

In 2023-24, the Gators took on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the challenge. Unfortunately for the Gators, they dropped this game 82-71. 

The rest of the ACC/SEC Challenge games are as follows:

Arkansas at Miami

California at Missouri

Florida State at LSU

Georgia Tech at Oklahoma

Kentucky at Clemson

Notre Dame at Georgia

Ole Miss at Louisville

South Carolina at Boston College

Syracuse at Tennessee

Wake Forest at Texas A&M

Alabama at North Carolina

Auburn at Duke

Pittsburgh at Mississippi State

Texas at North Carolina State

Vanderbilt at Virginia Tech

Published
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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