How much Florida is paying Utah for the season-opener, two other games revealed

The Florida Gators are paying a hefty price to welcome Utah to Gainesville on Saturday, however, the program managed to bring down the overall payments to non-conference opponents by 64% year-over-year.

The Gators owe the Utah Utes $500,000 for the season-opener, despite the opponent’s top-25 ranking at No. 7 in the nation. Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinal also reported that the team is paying $250,000 to USF and $750,000 to Eastern Washington. The overall price tag for the non-conference games this year is $1.5 million, compared to $2.33 million in 2021.

Florida and Utah both announced a home-and-home series in September of 2019. Athletics director Scott Stricklen added several Power Five non-conference games to the Gators’ future schedules after his arrival to the program in 2016.

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Although it’s the Gators footing the bill for the 2022 game, the Utes will likely pick up a similar tab when they host in Salt Lake City in 2023.

The Utes and Gators have only played each other once in program history. They played in the Swamp in 1977 resulting in a 38-29 win for the home team.

The game on Saturday kicks off at 7 p.m. in Gainesville. Billy Napier’s first-year squad is a 2.5-point underdog, according to the latest odds from VegasInsider. Despite what the oddsmakers and bettors believe, the hosts are predicted to win by 52.1%, per the ESPN FPI.

Billy Napier urges Florida fans to create hostile environment

Heading into the season-opener versus Utah, head coach Billy Napier sent a message to Gators fans who plan to be in the Swamp on gameday.

“We really look forward to our fans showing up,” Napier said Monday. “We all understand Gainesville transforms on game day, and I’m certainly excited about experiencing that for the first time being on this side, right?

“We’re obviously excited about it being game week. We really look forward to our fans showing up. We all understand Gainesville transforms on game day, and I’m certainly excited about experiencing that for the first time being on this side. So be there early, know that you’re a part of the team and that you can contribute and help our team in terms of the game.”