Florida vs. Michigan set for 3:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC

The kickoff time for Florida’s 2017 season-opening meeting with Michigan was announced today. The Gators and Wolverines will play at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 2, in a game broadcast by ABC.

You may recall that there were some rumblings their meeting would move to Sunday, but those were put to rest, saving Florida’s streak of Saturday games.

That game, styled as the AdvoCare Classic, will be held in Arlington, Texas, at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. It will be the first time that the Gators have played at Jerry World.

This contest marks another first for Florida as the Gators have never before faced the Wolverines in the regular season. The two programs have met four times before though, with Michigan winning each of those postseason bowl games.

The last meeting between these two was in the 2015 season’s Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl debacle. The Wolverines also bested the Gators in the 2003 Outback Bowl and the 2008 Capital One Bowl.

Speaking of corporate sponsorship, this game is the ninth AdvoCare Classic event and the third to feature a Big Ten vs. SEC match-up. The SEC is 5-0 overall in Advocare Classic games.

This year Florida will not open their season at home for the first time in 30 years. This will also be the first time that the Gators have opened at a neutral site in 33 years, and will be the first time in 38 years that they will open their season playing outside of the state of Florida.