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Florida announces details for Jimmy V Classic matchup vs. UConn

On3 imageby: Zach Abolverdi06/04/25ZachAbolverdi
Rueben-Chinyelu-Florida-Gators
Florida Gators center Rueben Chinyelu (9) dunks the ball during the second half against the Connecticut Huskies in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. (Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)

Todd Golden beat the two-time defending champion UConn on his way to becoming the youngest coach since Jim Valvano (37) to lead his team to a national title. Now Golden and the Florida Gators will meet the Huskies again next season in the Jimmy V Classic.

On Wednesday, ESPN officially announced the matchup between Florida and UConn at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Dec. 9. The game will air at 9 p.m. on ESPN as the second half of a doubleheader, following BYU vs. Clemson.

Florida had a thrilling 77-75 win over UConn in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to advance to the Sweet 16 for the 12th time in school history. UF snapped the Huskies’ 13-game winning streak in March Madness and a five-game skid in the series against them. 

RELATED: Takeaways from Florida Gators’ 77-75 win over UConn

The Florida Gators are 2-5 in the all-time series against UConn, with both victories coming in the NCAA Tournament (1994 Sweet 16). The Huskies won the last regular season meeting, 75-54, in Gainesville on Dec. 7, 2022.

Golden spent time with Dan Hurley at the Dicky V Gala in May and said the UConn coach is looking forward to the rematch. Golden called the Gators’ 2025-26 non-conference schedule the toughest they’ve had under him.

“It’s going to be a challenge. I might regret it later,” Golden said. “When you have success, you get some great opportunities. I look at that game against Arizona, the Naismith starting off the season in Vegas as a great opportunity. Playing in the Jimmy V against UConn will be another just remarkable game for us, another really tough game. I know Dan is going to want to kick our ass for sure. They will be ready.

“But you can’t turn down those opportunities if you want to continue to build to be one of the better programs in all of America, you get those opportunities. You take advantage of it, whether you win or lose, those are games that players that are great want to be a part of. They’ll be the highlights of our non-conference schedule with the ACC-SEC Challenge.”

Florida Gators non-conference schedule

Nov. 3: Arizona — Hall of Fame Series (Las Vegas)
Nov. 6: North Florida
Nov. 11: Florida State 
Nov. 27-28: Providence/TCU/Wisconsin — Rady Children’s Invitational (San Diego)
Dec. 9: UConn — Jimmy V Classic (New York)
TBA: ACC/SEC Challenge

About the Jimmy V Classic

The Jimmy V Classic, named for legendary college basketball coach Jim Valvano, annually raises money and awareness for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. The men’s Classic began in 1995 and is in its 31st year – 22nd at Madison Square Garden – and is part of ESPN’s V Week initiative, which utilizes platforms to talk to sports fans about the importance of cancer research. To date, ESPN has helped raise more than $262 million for the V Foundation since 1993. ESPN’s annual V Week has helped to raise nearly $101 million over the past 18 years.

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