After making a name for himself as a defensive coordinator at Texas, Will Muschamp was chosen as the guy to replace Urban Meyer, who stepped down from the University of Florida head coaching job. After winning two National Championships in 2006 and 2008, Muschamp had big shoes to fill in Gainesville.
Unfortunately, Muschamp could not replicate the success that Meyer had with the university. His tenure—including a 28-21 record (17-15 in SEC play) and 1-1 Bowl Game record—ended after the 2014 season, which saw his Gators finish with a 7-5 overall record (4-4 in SEC play), although that could be attributed to an offense that never seemed to come together.
Enter Jim McElwain, the 2014 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year at Colorado State and previous offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2008-11. His rebuilding efforts at Colorado State will tried to be replicated on a larger scale in the SEC, arguably the toughest conference in college football from top to bottom.
After a majority of lackluster Saturdays during Muschamp’s tenure, the excitement has returned for Florida fans and people in Gainesville. Florida Gators tickets on TiqIQ.com feature an average price of $159.18 for its 12 scheduled games. It’s unreasonable for Gators fans to attend all games, and thus, it might be wise to invest in DISH TV packages that include the SEC Network, starting from only $35 a month. Not a moment of the Gators’ season, or any other team in the SEC, has to be missed.
Below are the three most expensive average ticket prices on the secondary market for Gators’ tickets this upcoming season.
10/31/2015 | Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators | EverBank Field | Average Price: $446.64 | Get-in Price: $103
Halloween just got a touch more interesting. This is a neutral field contest for both teams, although the orange and blue in the stands may say otherwise, as Gainesville to Jacksonville, compared to Athens to Jacksonville, is quite the difference (340 miles to 80 miles). One of the positive memories from Florida’s 2014 season was their dominant 38-20 victory over Georgia in this same stadium. By then, the Bulldogs should have a grasp on their new offense, led by ex-NFL coordinator Brian Schottenheimer in his first season with the school.
10/17/2015 | LSU Tigers vs. Florida Gators | Tiger Stadium | Average Price: $263.35 | Get-in Price: $119
The time of this game is still to be determined but McElwain’s possible first night trip into LSU will be a tough welcome into SEC play. LSU felt the pain of the loaded SEC West division last season that included four teams finishing in the top-25 in the AP Poll by season’s end. After an 8-5 overall record (4-4 conference), Les Miles always has something up his sleeve for a rebound year. Florida’s defense will face their first run-heavy attack against LSU, which can end up being a big statement as the season rolls on.
11/28/2015 | Florida Gators vs. Florida State Seminoles | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Average Price: $235 | Get-in Price: $100
Thanksgiving Weekend will see the first in-state rivalry game between Florida and Florida State during McElwain’s tenure. Jimbo Fisher has FSU as the class of the ACC, but will be missing a few of their main playmakers from the past two seasons. An added wrinkle occurred recently, as Florida State landed Notre Dame quarterback transfer Everett Golson. Whether it’s Golson or Sean Maguire at quarterback for the ‘Noles, it is almost guaranteed that there will be playoff/bowl game implications on the line for at least one of these teams during the last game of the regular season. Even if McElwain’s opening campaign doesn’t go according to plan, a victory against Florida State can rinse the bad taste out of anyone’s mouth.
