After another disappointing year, the Florida Gators are still looking for their first winning season since 2020. However, the yearly milestone could become more complicated with a recent NCAA investigation coming to light. Per the Tampa Bay Times, the Florida Gators football program is under NCAA investigation after the newspaper received notice on Friday.
The Times requested notice of any inquiry into the program regarding violations related to NIL (name, image, and likeness) or recruiting, but their submissions fell through. However, the NCAA approved the request on Friday after queries from the Times’ legal team.
Florida Gators: Under NCAA Investigation
The Gators are under investigation, but the specifics remain unclear. Per Marr Baker’s article, what is known is that the investigation started in early June when the school president received notice.
Baker has a quote from school spokesperson Steve McClain, saying, “We have been and will continue to cooperate with the NCAA. We hold ourselves to high standards of excellence and integrity on and off the field. We cannot offer additional comments because we follow NCAA policies about maintaining confidentiality.”
The investigation comes during the era of player empowerment, the transfer portal, and NIL deals. The Gators made national headlines last offseason with a NIL dispute centering around top prospect Jaden Rashada. The gunslinger eventually signed with the Arizona State Sun Devils. Reports indicated a $13.85 million NIL deal with the Gator Collective fell through. Florida received sanctions in 2020 under then-head coach Dan Mullen. They were found guilty of two infractions revolving around contact with recruits. Florida is the second team in the state to potentially get hit with recruiting sanctions this offseason, with the Florida State Seminoles getting in trouble earlier this month.
Gators: Fresh Off Five-Win Season
The Gators, under second-year head coach Billy Napier, finished 5-7 this season. They failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2017. They went 3-5 in SEC play, and despite quarterback Graham Mertz throwing 20 touchdowns to just three picks, they scored less than 30 points per game. They were worse on defense, allowing 27.6 points per game. Napier’s squad finished the season on a five-game slide, including losses at home to Arkansas and Florida State.
