{"id":282234,"date":"2026-05-23T19:40:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T19:40:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/282234\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T19:40:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T19:40:12","slug":"floridas-new-head-football-coach-makes-his-feelings-on-fsu-very-clear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/282234\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida\u2019s new head football coach makes his feelings on FSU very clear"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jon Sumrall has been on the job in Gainesville for less than six months, and he’s already talking like a Florida man. In a recent interview<\/a> with CBS Sports CFB, the first-year Gators<\/a> head coach was posed a direct question: rank Florida State<\/a>, Miami, Georgia, and LSU in order of which program he already hates the most. His answer left no room for interpretation.<\/p>\n

“Yeah, I think you probably have to start with Florida State,” Sumrall said. “We play them year in, year out. They’re within the same state as us. And so that one has to be, to me, that’s got to be the top.”<\/p>\n

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The comments carry genuine weight coming from a coach who has made clarity and accountability his brand since arriving in Gainesville.<\/p>\n

The timing of the comments adds another layer of intrigue. Florida is coming off a dismal 4-8, 2-6 SEC season under former head coach Billy Napier, and Sumrall is tasked with reversing a program trajectory that has been trending in the wrong direction for the better part of a decade. The Florida-Florida State series has been lopsided in recent years, with the Gators and Seminoles set to meet again in 2026 as part of a schedule that also includes Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas, and Georgia.<\/p>\n

The two programs will settle things on Nov. 27 in what figures to be one of the most compelling rivalry games in the country, and a matchup that could carry significant implications for both programs’ bowl eligibility in the final week of the regular season.<\/p>\n

The series has not been kind to FSU under Mike Norvell, who owns a 2-3 record against the Gators since arriving in Tallahassee. The two wins came in 2022 (45-38) and 2023 (24-15 in Gainesville on the road as part of an undefeated regular season), and losses in 2021, 2024, and most recently a 40-21 defeat in Gainesville last November that capped a 5-7 season and FSU’s second consecutive bowl miss.<\/p>\n

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For Florida State, the comments serve as a reminder of what is at stake when these two programs meet. Sumrall has shown a willingness to speak candidly and with an edge since arriving at Florida, drawing praise from fans tired of coach-speak and polished non-answers. All the while putting the Seminoles at the top of his rival list before his first fall camp is precisely the kind of bulletin board material that Norvell’s program can hang in the locker room all offseason long.<\/p>\n

Follow us\u00a0@FSUWire<\/a>\u00a0on X and like our page on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0to follow ongoing coverage of\u00a0Florida State<\/a>\u00a0news, notes, and opinions.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Florida’s head coach Jon Sumrall calls FSU the Gators\u2019 biggest rival<\/a><\/p>\n