It was the Southeastern Conference’s marquee football rivalry of the 1990s.
It’s a matchup that will no longer take place annually.
Tennessee and Florida will vie for the 55th time and for the 36th straight season when the No. 20 Volunteers face the Gators in the Swamp on Saturday night (7:30 on ABC). That the two teams have a combined 10-10 record this season hasn’t lessened the motivation from each camp.
“We have a great opportunity here in front of us,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said on Wednesday’s SEC teleconference. “It’s a rivalry game and one that’s always had great importance, especially going back to when we had divisions in this league.”
The Vols are 7-3 overall and 3-3 within the SEC and can cling to their incredibly slim hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive year with a win. Serving as even more motivation is the fact that Tennessee prevailed in Gainesville in 2001 and 2003 but hasn’t been able to celebrate there since.
Florida, meanwhile, has endured an unexpectedly disappointing season that has left the Gators 3-7, including 2-5 in league play. Yet Saturday night’s game is Florida’s first at home since its 23-21 topping of Mississippi State on Oct. 18, and it’s sold out.
“This is the University of Florida, and it’s a special place,” Gators interim coach Billy Gonzales said. “It’s a special place, and it’s a special university. One of the great traditions that we have is selling out the Swamp. The atmosphere in the middle of the fourth quarter is going to be pretty cool again. We get a night game, and I think that’s something that I know our players look forward to.
“We love the excitement and the fans and the energy that they bring. Our players will play off that.”
Florida’s win over Mississippi State was its last under coach Billy Napier, who was fired the next day. The Gators have since performed admirably in a 24-20 loss to Georgia in Jacksonville, looked lifeless in a 38-7 loss at Kentucky, and played well early this past weekend at Ole Miss before the Rebels rallied for a 34-24 win.
“There is not a major difference in what they’re doing,” Heupel said. “They’re still big and physical up front and talented on the outside. Their quarterback can do everything you want him to do.
“It hasn’t been a major overhaul in terms of what they’re doing offensively.”
When the SEC added Arkansas and South Carolina before the 1992 season and split into two six-team divisions, the Gators and Vols combined to win the first 10 East Division titles. They also combined to win two national championships in a three-year stretch, with Florida claiming the crown in 1996 and Tennessee in 1998.
Under the league’s new nine-game schedule that will be implemented next year, the two programs will be rotating foes and will collide twice every four seasons. The Vols and Gators won’t play again after Saturday night until 2027, when Florida visits Knoxville, and Tennessee won’t return to Gainesville until 2029.
“These players understand that there is a deep-rooted history with Tennessee,” Gonzales said. “They’re an exceptional football team, but obviously our players understand that this game has always been a heated rivalry, and we have continued to talk to our players about it. Throughout the summer, we always show videos from rivalries and past players making plays offensively and defensively.
“We’ve had some video looping going on just to make sure our players understand the importance of this game.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.