UF lacrosse coach Amanda O’Leary announced the Gators 2021 schedule Thursday.
Florida kicks off its season in Kentucky against the Louisville Cardinals Feb. 13. This is the Gators’ first game since finishing the brief 2020 season ranked sixth (6-2) after the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt on collegiate sports.
Florida will compete in 17 regular season games, but the first eight will be on the road. US Lacrosse Magazine ranks UF No. 8 ahead of the 2021 season.
The Gators will then head to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to face the formerly top-ranked Tar Heels Feb. 19. The orange and blue will travel to Kennesaw State Feb. 23 before heading to Baltimore, Maryland, to take on Loyola Feb. 28.
The team will return to Florida to play Stetson in DeLand March 6 and the Jacksonville Dolphins March 13. Florida finishes their road trip with two matches against Temple in Philadelphia March 19 and 21.
After months of away games, seven will be played at Donald R. Dizney Stadium. The athletic association hasn’t announced fan capacity and COVID-19 health and safety protocols for the season.
The Gators home opener is March 26 against the Cincinnati Bearcats. Florida will battle Cincinnati again two days later before playing East Carolina April 1 and 3. Two matches against Vanderbilt April 16 and 18 follow.
The team will then travel to Norfolk, Virginia, to confront Old Dominion April 23 and 25 before returning to the Diz to meet Liberty April 28.
Florida is also set to host the 2021 American Athletic Conference Championships in early May, according to the University Athletic Association.
The program holds nine conference championship titles heading into the 2021 season. The last time the Gators won the AAC conference tournament championship was 2019.
Contact Karina Wilson at kwilson@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @kk_rinaa
Karina Wilson is a second-year student at the University of Florida within the College of Journalism and Communications with a specialization in sports and media. She aims to produce engaging, accurate and current content for all types of sports fans. Currently, Karina is The Alligator's lacrosse beat writer.
