Florida's 2024 schedule labeled the 'most brutal' in the SEC

The SEC, like most other conferences in college football, will look a little bit different this year. The league is headlined by Texas and Oklahoma joining the league and getting rid of divisions, thus increasing the competitiveness of arguably the most competitive conference in college football.

The new-look SEC comes with new-look schedules for all of its teams, which are not all created equal with the confines of divisions no longer existing. With that in mind, On3’s Andy Staples reveals which SEC program he believes was dealt the toughest hand heading into a hallmark 2024 season.

“The most brutal schedule handed out by the SEC, well that goes to the Florida Gators,” Staples said.

“Now, Florida does not help itself by having Miami and UCF in addition to its annual game against Florida State on this year’s schedule. But listen to these final four SEC games, listen to this. Georgia in Jacksonville, Texas in Austin, and then you’re back home but you play LSU at Ole Miss,” Staples explained. “And then after that, because it’s an even-numbered year, the Gators go to Tallahassee where they have to play a Florida State team that won 13 games last year, won the ACC, and is probably going to be really good again this year.”

If the Gators had a time machine, they’d probably go back and ease up on their non-conference schedule that features in-state games that may favor them travel-wise, but not so much on the field. And that paired with an SEC schedule that seemingly only gets more challenging as the season prolongs will definitely make things difficult for head coach Billy Napier. Who enters his third season at the helm for the Gators and will look to achieve more than three SEC wins in a season for the first time during his tenure.

“That is a brutal, brutal schedule and proof positive that all SEC schedules, not created equal,” Staples said. “So if you’re a Texas fan, hey, they’re welcoming you with open arms. If you’re an Oklahoma fan, you’re like, ‘hey, you could have cut us the same break.’ But at least you’re not a Florida fan, because that schedule is rough.”

Heading into the season schedules are naturally compared and contrasted, but it will be fascinating to see how Florida and others truly navigate through them when the season kicks off just a few months in the future.