Florida vs. Florida State game moving to Black Friday

The Florida-Florida State football series will be moving to Black Friday this year.

The move from the rivalry’s traditional post-Thanksgiving Saturday date was announced Monday evening when the ACC unveiled its full 2022 football schedule. Both teams said the game in Tallahassee will be in primetime, though the official kickoff time and television information have not yet been announced.

This will be the second weekday regular-season meeting between the Gators and Seminoles and the first since 1979.

“Hosting Florida in primetime on the Friday during the Thanksgiving holiday allows us to showcase this great rivalry and our community on a day that has historically drawn huge television viewership,” Seminoles athletic director Michael Alford said. “It also gives us the opportunity to lock in a night game, which allows fans to make plans well in advance and avoids the potential of the six-day network television option on kickoff time.”

UF’s last regular-season weeknight game against any opponent was a 30-6 Thursday loss at Mississippi State in 1992. FSU has played many recent non-Saturday games, including last season’s Sunday night opener against Notre Dame, primetime Labor Day openers against Mississippi (2016) and Virginia Tech (2018) and a Friday night loss at Boston College in 2017.

The Gators said in a statement that the 2023 game in Gainesville — which will be played under the SEC’s television arrangements — will return to its traditional slot on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

FSU’s season begins with a Week 0 game against Duquesne on Aug. 27. It’ll be the earliest date Doak Campbell Stadium has hosted a game. FSU’s non-conference schedule also includes a trip to New Orleans to play LSU Sunday, Sept. 4 and a Nov. 19 home game against Louisiana —the former school of new UF coach Billy Napier.

Other notable Seminoles games include their ACC opener at Louisville on Friday, Sept. 16 and a tricky three-game stretch against Wake Forest, at North Carolina State and home against Clemson. All three teams finished last season in the top 20.

The ACC also announced Miami’s full schedule for Mario Cristobal’s first season. It includes a Sept. 17 trip to Texas A&M to face former FSU coach Jimbo Fisher plus a home game against the Seminoles on Nov. 5 and a trip to Clemson two weeks later.

FSU 2022 football schedule

Aug. 27: vs. Duquesne

Sept. 4 (Sunday): vs. LSU in New Orleans

Sept. 10: Off

Sept. 16 (Friday): at Louisville

Sept. 24: vs. Boston College

Oct. 1: vs. Wake Forest

Oct. 8: at North Carolina State

Oct. 15: vs. Clemson

Oct. 22: Off

Oct. 29: vs. Georgia Tech

Nov. 5: at Miami

Nov. 12: at Syracuse

Nov. 19: vs. Louisiana

Nov. 25 (Friday): vs. UF

Miami Hurricanes 2022 football schedule

Sept. 3: vs. Bethune-Cookman

Sept. 10: vs. Southern Miss

Sept. 17: at Texas A&M

Sept. 24: vs. Middle Tennessee

Oct. 1: Off

Oct. 8: vs. North Carolina

Oct. 15: at Virginia Tech

Oct. 22: vs. Duke

Oct. 29: at Virginia

Nov. 5: vs. Florida State

Nov. 12: at Georgia Tech

Nov. 19: at Clemson

Nov. 26: vs. Pitt

• • •

Never miss out on the latest with the Bucs, Rays, Lightning, Florida college sports and more. Follow our Tampa Bay Times sports team on Twitter and Facebook.