Florida is projected to meet USF in the Cure Bowl

What Happened

Florida is projected to face South Florida in the Cure Bowl as part of an early look at the 2026 postseason. The Gators missed a bowl game last season, their fourth absence since 2013, and enter 2026 with first-year head coach Jon Sumrall. Sumrall has never missed postseason football in his career. Florida and USF have played four times since 2010, with Florida holding a 3-1 record. USF won the latest meeting, an 18-16 upset in Gainesville last season. USF also played in last season’s Cure Bowl, losing to Old Dominion 24-10. No official bowl matchup has been announced.

Why It Matters

• A Florida-USF rematch would give the Gators an immediate chance to answer last season’s 18-16 home loss, while putting Sumrall in his first bowl meeting with the Bulls.
• The projection places Florida in the Cure Bowl, but the matchup depends on the Gators returning to the postseason after missing it last year.
• Florida’s new play-calling and roster construction will determine whether this projection becomes a postseason game or an early miss.

THE PATE STATE READ

Florida gets credit for changing coaches and reshaping the roster after missing the postseason. The task is still bigger than a bowl projection: the Gators have to turn those changes into enough wins before December. USF already showed it can beat Florida in Gainesville, so the rematch would test whether the new staff fixed the situations that allowed an 18-16 upset. This moves the conversation toward postseason access, not SEC contention. The verification event is Florida’s 2026 schedule, with the Cure Bowl only becoming real if the Gators qualify.(Josh has not yet commented.)

What's Next

• 2026 season: Florida begins its first season under head coach Jon Sumrall.
• December 2026: the 43-game bowl slate is played, including the Cure Bowl if Florida qualifies.
• 2026 season: Florida and South Florida could meet in their first matchup of the Sumrall era.