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

The Florida Gators have a long history with the LSU Tigers that spans 70 games

Here's a look at some of the history between the Florida Gators and LSU / Doug Engle / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Florida Gators host LSU on Saturday for the 71st contest between the two teams. Ahead of the game, here's a deep dive into the history of the rivalry that goes back almost 90 years.

Slow Start

Although both programs were part of the 13 original members of the SEC back when it was founded in 1932, the two schools that now have an intense rivalry didn't meet until 1937. 

The first game took place at Tiger Stadium, where the Tigers beat the Gators 19-0. After LSU won three of the first four games (the other being a tie). Florida beat LSU for the first time in 1955, during their fifth-ever contest. The two schools began playing regularly in the 1950s and 1960s but the rivalry wasn’t played annually until 1971. 

From Strangers To Rivals

The SEC rivals have met 70 times in total, with Florida officially leading the series 33-31-3. If that math doesn’t add up, good catch. LSU held the series lead until 2023 when the program was forced to vacate three wins due to NCAA violations. The Tigers currently have a five-game winning streak. However, that’s not the longest in the rivalry’s history. That honor goes to Florida's nine-game reign from 1988-1996.

Despite being cross-division rivals since 1993, they have surprisingly never met in the SEC Championship. Over the past 30 years, the teams have combined for 11 SEC Championships. 

The highest-scoring game between the two programs came back in 2021, when the Tigers outscored the Gators 49-42, combining for 91 points. Meanwhile, the largest margin of victory came after Florida beat LSU 58-3, back in 1993.

Breaking Down The Numbers

Between both universities, they have won seven National Championships, six Heisman Trophy Winners, and 70 consensus All-American selections. Both teams rank among the top 20 all-time for program wins in Division 1 history. 

Heading into this season, Florida had four preseason All-SEC selections, while the Tigers had eight. 

At the professional ranks, they combine for 99 NFL first-round picks (Florida has 57, LSU has 44). Two former Gators are in the NFL Hall of Fame, while there are six Tigers in Canton.