Utah football fans, the wait is over. We now know when the Utes will take on Florida in their first game of the 2023 season.
The team announced Tuesday that it will face the Gators on Thursday, Aug. 31, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
When the Utes’ 2023 football schedule was unveiled in January, the schools were still debating whether their season opener would be set for Aug. 31 or Sept. 2.
“The game was originally scheduled for Sept. 2, but multiple outlets have reported that the game contract gave the option for it to be played on Aug. 31,” the Deseret News reported at the time.
Now, that debate is settled, with fans of an earlier game winning out. The start time for the contest is still unknown, although Thursday games almost always take place at night.
In addition to announcing on what day the Utes will face the Gators, the University of Utah on Tuesday shared some fashion advice: Utah fans are encouraged to wear red to the Utah-Florida game.
“Show out. Be loud. Wear red. Go Utes,” says a new hype video from the Utah Athletics Twitter account.
In 2022, Utah football also started its season with a game against the Gators, although it took place in Gainesville, not Salt Lake City.
The Utes lost a heartbreaker 29-26 after struggling to contain Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson, who is expected to be a hot commodity in next month’s NFL draft.
“Richardson rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns, including a 45-yard touchdown run and the game-winning 1-yard touchdown run with 1:25 left,” the Deseret News reported after last year’s game.