Report: Florida vs. UConn scheduled as matchup in Jimmy V. Classic

Florida and Connecticut are the winners of each of the last three national titles. Now, after meeting in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the Gators and Huskies will reportedly be playing again in the non-conference come next season.

Per sources speaking to Jeff Goodman at ‘The Field of 68’ on Monday, Florida vs. Connecticut will be one of the games that’ll be part of the Jimmy V. Classic. Jon Rothstein at CBS Sports reported the same as well as noting the other matchup apparently being BYU vs. Clemson. The date of the event will be on December 9th with those games being in Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Florida and UConn have met in seven games all-time with six of those coming in the past dozen years. Connecticut has won five of those with Florida having only won the first meeting in the Sweet 16 of the 1994 NCAA Tournament and the most recent one six weeks ago in the Round of 32 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The Gators came back to win 77-75 in Raleigh back in March en route to a national title win over Houston with it also ending Connecticut’s chance at a three-peat. Their only other meeting in the postseason was in the Final Four in 2014 with UConn winning 63-53 before winning the national title over Kentucky.

Connecticut has also swept all four regular season games. They’ve played a pair apiece in Storrs, one ending on a buzzer-beater by Shabazz Napier in 2013, and Gainesville, one being just two seasons ago in a 21-point victory for the Huskies.

Florida is going to have a different team, at the very least in the backcourt, coming off their championship a month ago. Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, and Will Richard are out of eligibility and Denzel Aberdeen transferred elsewhere while Alex Condon and Reuben Chinyelu are testing for the 2025 NBA Draft. Still with their returners plus two top transfers in the backcourt and a top-ten recruiting class, Todd Golden should have another top team for his fourth season in Gainesville in trying to go back-to-back.

Connecticut, a year removed from winning consecutive titles themselves, also projects as a top contender for next season in year eight under Dan Hurley. The Huskies did lose Liam McNeeley to the 2025 NBA Draft with Samson Johnson and Hassan Diarra also done in college. However, they’ll be returning Alex Karaban, Solo Ball, and Tarris Reed Jr. while bringing in a pair of top transfer guards and a top-fifteen incoming class.

The Jimmy V. Classic has been played since 1995. It highlights V Week at ESPN, an “initiative across multiple ESPN platforms and programs featuring special content to help raise funds for cancer research”. It’s in support of the V-Foundation involving cancer research in the memory of Jim Valvano.

Florida and UConn are two of the better programs, currently and all-time, in college basketball. They’ll now meet again, for their first neutral site meeting in the regular season, in December in a rematch that’ll help fundraise and bring awareness for the V-Foundation.