The Associated Press released its preseason Top 25 football poll, and the Florida Gators found themselves absent from the list, receiving a modest 51 votes that placed them 27th in the media tally.
A historic slump and a fresh start
That figure left the Gators trailing the neighboring Missouri Tigers by 11 votes and positioned Florida behind ten of the 13 Southeastern Conference peers, with only nine conference schools cracking the top 25.
The disappointment echoes earlier downturns, notably a 2022 season when the team fell out of the rankings entirely after a brief climb to No. 12, and a 2020 campaign that saw them rise to No. 13 under coach Dan Mullen before a late‑season slump.
New leadership and a bold target
Now the program is charting a different path. New head coach Jon Sumrall, hired to lead the Gators into a new chapter, has set a clear ambition: break back into the AP Top 25 in 2026.
Sumrall’s first test will come early, with the team opening the season at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against Florida Atlantic University on September 5, a game that will serve as a barometer for the squad’s progress.
The schedule promises a gauntlet of top‑ranked opponents. Florida will meet five SEC rivals who are already projected inside the Top 25, including traditional powers Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Missouri.
If the Gators can navigate that slate and rally around Sumrall’s vision, the 2026 campaign could mark the return of Florida to the national conversation.