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Is FSU football rivalry vs. Florida in trouble as sport handles realignment, playoff expansion?
The Florida State-Florida football rivalry stands toe-to-toe with any marquee nonconference game nationally.
The series started in 1958 and the game site has alternated on an annual home-and-away basis between Gainesville and Tallahassee since 1964. The Sunshine Showdown has usually been held in late November, giving passionate fans plenty of time during the season to prepare and rally behind the state's two oldest public universities.
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The current contract between the two football teams ends after the 2026 season, according to FSU officials.
While there is no indication the cherished series won't continue, one has to wonder if the game might be cast aside due to sweeping changes to college football.
Personally, FSU and UF should tango every year for as long as college football is played. I believe FSU and UF leadership believe it, too. From my vantage point, FSU Vice President and Athletic Director Michael Alford is adamant his programs play and compete at an elite level.
But nobody knows what the future holds, right?
More: Who has Florida's best college football helmet?
Is the USC-Notre Dame football game in jeopardy?
Recent reports that the Notre Dame-Southern Cal could be on the brink of ending due to uncertainty about the future College Football Playoff format rattled college football's fan base.
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The teams have met 95 times since 1924, but reports have suggested USC is reluctant to enter a long-term deal due to the sport's uncertainty and the demands of greater travel in the Big Ten.
It was only a few years ago when USC and Stanford were forced to cancel their football series and oldest rivalry when the Trojans departed for the Big Ten and Stanford for the ACC.
The College Football Playoff will undergo more changes in 2025, with the top four seeds in the 12-team field being the top four ranked teams. CFP executives are working to finalize the format for the 2026 postseason and beyond. Discussions center on expanding from the current 12-team playoff to 14-16 teams, with various formats on the table.
The SEC and Big Ten pushing College Football Playoff narrative
The Big Ten and SEC, which have combined to field 16 of the last 20 national champions, are the top leagues in revenue and have emerged as super conferences, are pushing the CFP narrative and how the postseason should play out.
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But the powers in place also must also make the regular season a priority, too. These decisions affect fans who are buying tickets, bunking at hotels and eating at local restaurants.
So many variables are in play.
The FSU-UF series could be impacted if the SEC at some point determines it wants to move from eight conference games to nine.
Another twist was bantered Wednesday, when LSU coach Brian Kelly told reporters at the SEC spring meetings that he and his fellow coaches are in favor of scheduling nonconference games against the Big Ten annually.
This also could jeopardize in-state rivalry games like FSU-UF, Georgia Tech-Georgia and South Carolina-Clemson. Especially if the SEC-Big Ten games are a play-in-style format at regular-season's end that could potentially decide bids into the CFP.
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SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has said he needs to make a scheduling decision in 2026.
ACC teams, meanwhile, play eight conference games annually and all 17 teams are scheduled to meet at least twice each seven years. FSU has protected games with Miami and Clemson and will continue to play the pair annually.
The FSU-UF game should be protected, too, don't you think?
Here's hoping the FSU-UF football series remains a priority and never goes away regardless how the college football landscape changes under SEC-Big Ten influence.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU-Florida football rivalry: Could college football changes impact matchup?
