Florida Gators basketball coming to Jacksonville. Here's when they play
· Yahoo Sports
A year and a half removed from their NCAA championship, Florida Gators men's basketball announced its next First Coast visit, playing Grand Canyon on Dec. 18 inside VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
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The event, to be organized by Chicago-based marketing agency Intersport, is part of the Jacksonville Hoops Showdown. Tip-off time and broadcast information remain to be determined.
This will be the Gators' third consecutive year participating in the Jacksonville event, after defeating South Florida 98-83 in 2024 and Miami 82-68 in 2025.
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Florida's game comes two days before the previously-announced Jacksonville Hoops Showdown contest between Florida State and Houston on Dec. 20, at the same site.
The Gators, SEC regular-season victors last year, are projected for a spot near the top of the national rankings in 2026-27. They return starters Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland and Thomas Haugh, three of them also key members of the 2025 national championship team.
Grand Canyon, coached by Bryce Drew, went 20-12 last year with a 13-7 record in the Mountain West. Makaih Williams is the team's leading returning scorer with averages of 14.0 points and 2.5 assists.
"We're excited to get back to Jacksonville for a third straight season and play in front of the great Gator fans there in Duval County," Florida coach Todd Golden said in a statement. "A lot of our guys have had the chance to play there multiple times already, and it has continued to be a great experience for all of us. We have a lot of respect for Coach Drew and Grand Canyon and look forward to a great game with them."
This will be the Gators' first game against Grand Canyon, although Golden went 1-1 against the Lopes during his previous head coaching tenure at San Francisco.
As with the Florida State-Houston game, a one-day ticket presale begins 11 a.m. Oct. 20, followed by the standard sale to the public opening at 11 a.m. Oct. 21.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida Gators basketball coming to Jacksonville. Here's when they play