A Look at the History of the Florida Gators Rivalry with FSU

Now known as the “Sunshine Showdown” - the two teams began playing against each other in 1958, and it's become one of the nation's most well-known matchups.

Nov 22, 1997; Gainesville, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Florida Gators linebacker Tony George (1) and Reggie McGrew (92) tackle Florida State Seminoles quarterback Thad Busby (12) as an official is caught in the middle of the play at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-Imagn Images / RVR Photos-Imagn Images

With the Florida Gators traveling to Tallahassee on Saturday to take on the Florida State Seminoles for the 68th matchup in the rivalry's history, Gators Illustrated takes a quick look at the matchup's history.

Slow Start

Although both universities founded their football programs in the early 1900’s (1902 for FSU, 1906 for UF), over 50 years went by before they finally faced each other in 1958. 

FSU, originally known as Florida State College, shuttered its football program in 1904, after the Buckman Act turned Florida State College into the Florida State College for Women. After an increase in enrollments after World War II, FSU re-opened and re-assembled their football program in 1947.  Despite returning to collegiate play, it still took 11 years for the schools to finally face off, at the request of former Florida Governor Leroy Collins.

Due to limited capacity at Doak Campbell Stadium, the first six match-ups took place at Florida Field in Gainesville. The Gators kicked the rivalry off with a three game win-streak, before a 3-3 tie took place in 1961. After finally hosting a game at Doak Campbell Stadium, the Seminoles secured their first win in 1964. Since 1958, the two teams have met every year except 2020, when the game was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In-State Rivalry Develops

The two teams have played against each other 65 times during the regular season, and have met in the Sugar Bowl twice. Florida currently holds the overall series lead 37-28-2. The longest win streak in the series took place from 1968-1976, when Florida won nine-straight games. Currently, the Seminoles hold a two-game winning streak over the Gators.

Likely due to their football program being inactive at the time that the SEC was formed, the Seminoles have been affiliated with four different conferences throughout their athletic programs existence. Between both schools, they have combined for 27 conference championships (18 for FSU, 9 for Florida) and six National Championship wins (three apiece). 

The highest-scoring game in the history of the rivalry took place in 2022, when the Seminoles pulled off a 45-38 win over the Gators (83 points combined). Meanwhile, the largest margin of victory came in 1983, when the Gators beat the Seminoles 53-14.

Breaking Down The Numbers

Between both universities, they have six Heisman Trophy winners (three apiece) and 79 consensus All-American selections (45 for FSU, 34 for Florida). Florida State’s 66% win percentage ranks 14th all-time among Division One programs, while Florida’s 62% win percentage is 20th all time.

Heading into the season, eight Gators were selected to the preseason All-SEC team, while four Seminoles made the preseason All-ACC team. 

At the professional level, the two teams have produced 103 first-round picks (Florida has 56, Florida State has 47). The Gators have two NFL Hall of Famers (Jack Youngblood, Emmitt Smith), while the Seminoles have five (Fred Biletnikoff, Derrick Brooks, Deion Sanders, Leroy Butler, Walter Jones).