Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles to move college football rivalry game to Friday after Thanksgiving in 2022

For only the second time in the rivalry's history, the Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles will not be playing on a Saturday, as the game in 2022 has been moved to the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Florida State on Monday released its 2022 schedule, with the Seminoles slate to host the Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium in primetime on Friday, Nov. 25.

«Hosting Florida in primetime on the Friday during the Thanksgiving holiday allows us to showcase this great rivalry and our community on a day that has historically drawn huge television viewership,» FSU athletics director Michael Alford said in a statement. «It also gives us the opportunity to lock in a night game, which allows fans to make plans well in advance and avoids the potential of the six-day network television option on kickoff time.»

The rivalry, which began in 1958 but has alternated home sites since 1964, was also played on the Friday after Thanksgiving in 1979.

The University of Florida said in a statement that the game would return to its traditional Saturday after Thanksgiving date in 2023.

Florida, which won last year's game in Gainesville, leads the all-time rivalry with a 37-26-2 mark.