Florida’s men’s basketball team is set to open its season against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on December 12 in Orlando, where the game will be played at the Kia Center as part of the Hall of Fame Series.
Return to the Kia Center
The matchup marks the Gators’ first appearance at the arena since the 2017 NCAA Tournament, a venue they previously used for early‑round victories over East Tennessee State and Virginia.
Florida holds a 20‑24 all‑time record against Georgia Tech, including an 80‑69 win the last time the two programs met, a game that took place roughly five decades ago.
The game will be part of a doubleheader that also features Florida Atlantic facing VCU, adding extra buzz to the evening of college basketball.
A challenging non‑conference slate
Beyond the Georgia Tech contest, the Gators have scheduled high‑profile games against Miami, Duke and Florida State as they look to test themselves before conference play.
The season actually begins with a homecoming test against the Miami Hurricanes in Tampa on November 2, a game the team hopes to win to build early momentum.
Florida enters the year with four players who reached double‑digit scoring averages last season — Thomas Haugh (17.1), Alex Condon (15.1), Boogie Fland (11.6) and Rueben Chinyelu (10.9) — three of whom earned All‑SEC honors.
That combination of experience and talent gives the coaching staff confidence that the Gators can start the campaign strong and carry that energy into the rigors of SEC competition.