Florida-Florida State Rivalry Ranked Among College Football's Best

Florida-Florida State Rivalry Ranked Among College Football's Best originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Florida Gators hate few teams less than their in-state rivals, the Florida State Seminoles. 

The annual meeting is known as "The Florida Cup" and was first held in 1958 in Gainesville. The game has been played every year since, with Florida holding a 38-28-2 series lead. 

On Monday, The Athletic's Scott Dochterman ranked the rivalry at No. 9 on his best in college football. 

The two rivals had very different seasons in 2024. Florida State entered the year ranked No. 10 but had a disappointing 2-10 season. 

The Gators secured their first winning season under head coach Billy Napier after an 8-5 finish. 

Florida snapped a two-game losing streak to Florida State with a 31-11 win in Tallahassee last season. 

The Gators saw the emergence of DJ Lagway as their starting quarterback in 2024 after a season-ending injury to Graham Mertz forced the former five-star prospect into action. 

Mertz suffered a torn ACL against the Tennessee Volunteers, leaving Lagway as the starter for the remainder of the season. 

Lagway started seven games and threw for 1,915 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. 

This year's showdown will feature Lagway against Boston College Eagles transfer Thomas Castellanos under center. Castellanos had 3,614 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions for Boston College from 2023-24. 

Florida has recently gained momentum in its recruiting efforts. The Gators were predicted to land four-star edge rusher Kevin Ford and four-star cornerback CJ Hester. Hester committed to Florida on Thursday shortly after the prediction was released. 

Florida and Florida State meet in the final week of the regular season on November 29. 

Related: Florida NIL Booster Calls Out Rival SEC School for Overpaying 5-Star Recruit

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.