When sitting down to holiday dinner, many people have to find the plates of those who interviewed Florida Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin. The Gators’ entire athletic program enjoyed significant success last year.

Therefore, the wolves currently sitting at Stricklin’s door need to find a new potential food source. While it’s not necessarily pretty, different athletes and teams have competed in various conference and national championships over the past 12 months.

Under these circumstances, UF and Stricklin received some recognition for the athletic prosperity the school enjoyed.

Late season revival

When people looked at the Gators’ daunting football schedule before the season began, many saw it as the reason for the firing of Billy Napier. Frankly, the team underperformed in Napier’s first two seasons, posting an 11-14 record and a bowl appearance that resulted in a loss.

Florida sent Dan Mullen out despite a winning record. They blamed Napier, and by extension Stricklin, for the football team’s mounting losses and seemingly aimless nature. With a season-ending rally that culminated in a bowl victory, this should not only earn Stricklin a reprieve but also praise for not pulling the trigger and giving up on Napier sooner.

Now the football team will take a starting quarterback who could be considered in the 2025 Heisman ballot and provides an excellent recruiting/transfer class in the offseason.

A whole new ball game

First, experts in the SEC East picked Florida baseball first. However, conference play began and the Gators were struggling. A six-game losing streak put the postseason in jeopardy. From April 5th to 13th, the team failed to win a game.

A first-round conference tournament loss to Vanderbilt certainly cemented the fact that Florida’s College World Series hopes were in jeopardy. But the team’s potential ultimately put them on the right track in the Super Regional. Aided by the thunder of Jac Caglianone’s bat, which set several school records, the Gators headed to the College World Series before falling to eventual national runner-up Texas A&M.

Hoop dreams

After exiting the first round of the NCAA Tournament, UF men’s basketball entered the 2024-25 season in full force. With 24 wins last season, the Gators are already 12-10 in 2024-25 and are ranked seventh in the Associated Press poll.

More importantly, this Gators team has handled a demanding non-conference schedule with ease. Now, in the loaded SEC, UF poses the biggest threat to top teams like Auburn, Alabama and Tennessee.

Conclusion

Despite the difficulties, Florida has overcome adversity and succeeded as a program this year. From team successes to individual successes, the program was outstanding.

For example, Parker Valby won the national championship in the women’s 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter runs and was named SEC Athlete of the Year, while Grace Stark won the women’s 100-meter hurdles title.

The Florida Gators’ three top sports, baseball, football and basketball, represented the university well in 2024 and set high expectations for an even better 2025.