The Florida Gators and Notre Dame Fighting Irish have only ever met once on the gridiron.
Back in the 1992 Sugar Bowl, the two squared off in New Orleans in what was dubbed "The Cheerios Bowl" after a waiter reportedly told Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz that "the difference between Cheerios and Notre Dame is that Cheerios belong in a bowl."
They beat Florida and Jerome Bettis won MVP.
Nearly four decades later, the two historical college football programs will face off again in a home-and-home series.
Florida, Notre Dame Announce Series
Eyes on the future... ?
??- 2031 in South Bend, IN
?- 2032 in The Swamp#GoGators pic.twitter.com/JoFbadxUnm— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) February 9, 2021
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Both teams announced they'll play each other in the 2031 and 2032 football seasons. The Gators will travel to South Bend, Indiana, to take on the Fighting Irish in Notre Dame Stadium in 2031 and UF will welcome Notre Dame to Gainesville's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in 2032.
Florida's non-conference opponents in 2031 will now include at Texas, Arizona State and at Notre Dame. Considering it will also play LSU, FSU and an SEC East slate, that season should be a fun one. In 2032, they're set to face Notre Dame and North Carolina State.
According to FloridaGators.com, here's what Florida's future Power Five non-conference opponent schedule looks like:
- 2021: Florida State
- 2022: Utah, at Florida State
- 2023: at Utah
- 2024: Miami
- 2025: at Miami
- 2026: Cal, at NC State
- 2027: at Cal
- 2028: Colorado, at Arizona State
- 2029: at Colorado
- 2030: Texas
- 2031: at Texas, Arizona State, at Notre Dame
- 2032: Notre Dame, NC State
Florida and Notre Dame could look like totally different programs in 10 years but head coach Brian Kelly and Dan Mullen's squads both finished in the top 15 of the Associated Press final poll last season.
Notre Dame football is one of the greatest programs of all time, having won 13 national championships and seven Heisman Trophy awards. Florida, meanwhile, has won three national titles since 1996 and three Heisman Trophy winners over the course of its football history.
