WRUF-AM (Gainesville, FL)

Jon Sumrall will run out of the tunnel at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for the first time as coach of the Gators on Saturday night. Florida Atlantic, a 27-point underdog, will be waiting on the other side. The Gators open the 2026 season against the Owls, beginning a new era under Sumrall and giving Florida its first chance to show what has changed under its new coaching staff. But recent SEC history suggests one game might not reveal much about Florida’s first season with Sumrall.

Florida soccer remained undefeated at home Thursday with a win against Youngstown State. [Courtesy of Gators Soccer] On a night meant to honor Florida’s 10 seniors, the veterans did not wait for the postgame ceremony to take center stage. The Gators entered Thursday’s match against Youngstown State looking to give the group another meaningful memory at Donald R. Dizney Stadium. Once the opening whistle sounded, Florida immediately took control en route to a 2-0 win.

Florida coach Jon Sumrall and the team run out onto the field before the Orange and Blue game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on April 11, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] To a crowd of over 80,000 screaming fans, Florida football will once again lace up their cleats and head into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday night. The grass will be green, the stadium will be humid, and orange and blue will fill the stands, exactly as it has every year before.

Aaron Philo nailed passes over the middle, eluded pressure and grew over three key games at Georgia Tech. Saturday, it all comes together. The 6-foot-1, 207-pound junior makes his debut under center for the Gators at 7:45 p.m. Saturday against Florida Atlantic at Florida Field. Since Philo transferred to UF in January, fans and media alike have discussed what Philo could bring to the team or if he should even start at all.

The goal for Florida’s defense the season is simple — wreak havoc. For defensive lineman Brendan Bett, that identity starts up front. “The main model for our defense is to be the most feared,” Bett said last month. “So regardless of what that is, in coverage and run stopping, pass rushing, whatever it is, we want to just be the most feared.” Florida enters the season with a defensive front that believes it can be one of the strengths of the team.

Florida’s offense enters the 2026 season with plenty of talent, but also plenty to prove. The Gators are transitioning into a new offensive system under coordinator Buster Faulkner, and while the installation has brought its share of challenges, the group has steadily improved through the offseason. Faulkner told the media Tuesday the biggest area of growth is Florida’s ability to run the ball. “By the end of camp, I was really pleased where we were at,” Faulkner said.

After a 4-8 season in 2025, Florida Atlantic aims to soar to a better result in its second season under head coach Zach Kittley. The first obstacle in the Owls’ path: a new-look Gators squad, hungry for their first win of the Jon Sumrall era. While the Owls’ air raid offense may have not panned out last season, optimism rings through in Boca Raton on what FAU can accomplish in 2026.

Another late-night battle ended in disappointment this time for Florida volleyball Wednesday at the Big Ten/SEC Challenge in Madison, Wis. No. 17 Florida lost to the No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers 3-2, (21-25, 25-20, 19-25, 26-24, 13-15) at UW Fieldhouse. The Gators (2-1) fought through the intense fifth set. The Badgers (2-3) dove to the ground often, creating a 6-1 lead to start the set. Big blocks from Alec Rothe and kills from  Kamryn Chaney tied the set 13-13.

Oak Hall football practice is anything but ordinary. Oak Hall trades the normal gridiron for the dusty clay infield and grass of a baseball field as the Eagles prepare for Friday’s home game against the Lecanto Seven Rivers Christian Warriors. Oak Hall’s 28-man roster made the outfield look big this week, but the intentions for Friday night aren’t small. Not everyone on the team, however, is a stranger to the diamond.

The U.S. Open has been Ben Shelton’s toughest stage in recent years. On Wednesday, the former Gator standout took a step toward changing that, advancing at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center with a hard-fought win over Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz. Shelton claimed a 3-1 (6-3, 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5) second-round victory over Hurkacz in the U.S. Open Men’s Singles competition Wednesday.