Florida Gators Accept Bid to Gasparilla Bowl

The Florida Gators will look to redeem the infamous bowl loss to UCF as they head back to the bowl game for the second time ever

The Gators will play in the game for the second time ever / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators have accepted a bid to play in the Gasparilla Bowl, where it will play Tulane on Dec. 20, in Tampa (Fla.). Kick-off is set for 3:30 p.m.

The Gators are heading to Tampa to take on Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl! 🐊#GoGators | @GasparillaBowl pic.twitter.com/BbYf9u6Nuh

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 8, 2024

Projections had them potentially in the Gator Bowl and even the ReliaQuest Bowl. But ultimately, they find themselves in a typical bowl that a 7-5 team plays in.

The matchup announcement was first reported by the Action Network’s Brett McMurphy.

This is the second time the Gators will play in this bowl game. They played UCF in 2021, losing 29-17. Florida already beat UCF this season, so they're just one win away from full redemption.

At the time, Dan Mullen had just been fired and Billy Napier had already been hired to succeed him. They finished the regular season 6-6 after a 4-2. Things are a little bit different this time. The Gators finished 7-5 after a 1-2 start and being 4-5 following the blowout loss to Texas.

The Gators have played the Green Wave 21 times overall, most recently in 1984. Even in the days when Tulane was in the SEC, the two schools didn't face each other that often. During the 32 years Tulane was an SEC schools, Florida played them nine times.

Historically, the Gators have appeared in 48 NCAA-sanctioned bowl games with a record of 24-24. Florida's last bowl appearance came on Dec. 17, 2022, in the Las Vegas Bowl, where the Gators lost 30-3 to Oregon State. 

Florida currently has a three-game losing streak in bowl games with its last win coming in the 2019 Orange Bowl, a 36-28 win over Virginia.