Florida's 2017 SEC schedule released: Texas A&M visits The Swamp

The 2017 Florida Gators schedule is now complete, as the SEC released it’s entire 2017 conference schedule tonight on the SEC Network.

The 2017 @GatorsFB Schedule

Opening weekend: Florida-Michigan. AT&T Stadium. Enough Said. pic.twitter.com/JqkipnXcn7

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 14, 2016

Mark your #Gators, fall of 2017 is booked.

(Hint: schedule your weddings for Oct. 21) pic.twitter.com/i0fyRt77mP

— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 14, 2016

There are some things to note about Florida's 2017 schedule.

As the SEC Network announced Florida's schedule, they repeatedly noted that the Gators will leave Gainesville six times next season and that that would mark the most times that Florida has played away from The Swamp in a season since 1947. Florida will play two neutral site games and four away games next year. However, Florida did play only six home games in 2013, traveling down south to play Miami that year.

This season Florida started SEC play a little earlier than usual, with Kentucky in the second week; which was just the Gators' second scheduled SEC opener for the second week of a season since 1995. 2017 sees Florida's second game reverting back to a match-up with a non-conference opponent.

Also of note is that Florida will open SEC play next year not against Kentucky, but against Tennessee in week three. Vanderbilt remains a September game for the Gators for the second straight year. And November finds the Gators traveling to both of the Columbias in the SEC East back-to-back.

The SEC's rotation of non-permanent cross-division opponents through 2025 was announced in May of 2014, so we've known for some time that Texas A&M would be visiting The Swamp in 2017. The Aggies will be doing so for the first time since 1962, when they suffered a 42-6 loss to the Gators. The Gators have played the Aggies only three times ever - and only once since A&M joined the SEC. Florida won in College Station in 2012, in the Aggies’ first ever SEC game. The two teams also met in the 1977 Sun Bowl and the aforementioned 1962 match-up. Texas A&M comes to Gainesville on October 14th.

It was recently announced that Florida would play Northern Colorado in 2017, which rounded out the Gators’ 2017 non-conference schedule, which also includes Florida’s annual end of the season match-up with Florida State, their previously announced neutral site opener against Michigan in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Stadium (which was announced way back in 2013), and a previously announced date with the newly revived UAB football team.

Here's the full 2017 Florida Gators football schedule:

2017 Florida Gators Schedule