USA Today: Prominent boosters ready for UF to move on from Billy Napier

The clock seems to be ticking on Billy Napier’s tenure as Florida Gators football coach. Matt Hayes of USA Today reported Wednesday that the wheels are in motion for change to come to the UF program in the near future (full story HERE).
Per Hayes, “Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin met with a handful of influential boosters Tuesday, and was told continuing financial support depends on new direction within the football program, three people with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.”
Hayes added that multiple sources told him Napier “could be fired as soon as this weekend. One thing is certain: Napier won’t survive another loss.”
Napier, just 21-23 in his fourth season with Florida, is 2-4 in 2025, with losses in four of the past five games. Three of those defeats came to teams ranked in the top 5 when the Gators faced them.
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Overall, Napier’s UF teams are 0-10 on the road vs. ranked opponents and 0-4 against them at neutral sites. Meanwhile, Napier is just 11–16 in SEC games. Even worse, Florida only 3-12 vs the school’s main five rivals — Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami and Tennessee under Napier.
Stricklin declined to comment for the USA Today article.
The Gators face unranked Mississippi State (4-2 overall, 0-2 in the SEC) at home Saturday, then have an open week before playing Georgia in Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 1.
Napier’s buyout is in the $21 million range. It would be paid in multiple installments during the next four years, with 50 percent of the money going to him within 30 days of his separation from UF.