Upcoming Event: Football versus UTSA on November 5, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Football
vs. UTSA
Florida Atlantic University Athletics
9/4/2026 1:17:00 PM | Football
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Atlantic opens its 26th season of football on Saturday night, with a prime-time battle versus Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. The fifth all-time meeting between Sunshine State foes kicks off at 7:45 p.m. ET live on the Florida Atlantic Sports Network and nationally televised on SEC Network.
Under second-year Hagerty Family Head Coach Zach Kittley, the Owls roll into the Swamp for their much-anticipated season opener. Kittley's continuity of both staff and roster from last season puts the Owls as the nation's only team to return the entire on-field coaching staff and the starting QB from the previous year.
Florida Atlantic was at the top of the Group of Six in returning offensive production, led by graduate QB Caden Veltkamp. Veltkamp guided a unit that finished the 2025 season No. 1 nationally in passing offense with 340.2 yards per game, while the QB himself finished the season ranked No. 1 nationally with 28.75 completed passes per game.
Defensively, Florida Atlantic brings back its leading tackler in graduate LB Leon Hart Jr. alongside DL CJ Doggette Jr., who paced the team with seven tackles for loss, including four sacks, a year ago.
The Gators have won the four previous meetings in the series that dates back to 2007. FAU was on the brink of a historic upset over the then-No. 8 Florida, falling just short in overtime, 20-14, on Nov. 21, 2015 in the Swamp.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television: SEC Network
Kickoff time: 7:45 p.m. ET
Announcers: Matt Schumacker (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst), Taylor Davis (reporter)
Channel Finder: Watch Online | Comcast | Verizon | Direct TV | Dish Network
Radio: Florida Atlantic Sports Network
Pregame Show: 7 p.m. ET
Announcers: Ken LaVicka (play-by-play), Chris Newbold (analyst), Mike Mrezcko (host, engineer)
Channel: FOX Sports South Florida
Streaming: Listen Live
WEATHER
BY THE NUMBERS
GAME UNIFORM
CAPTAINS
#WIP
Under second-year Hagerty Family Head Coach Zach Kittley, the Owls roll into the Swamp for their much-anticipated season opener. Kittley's continuity of both staff and roster from last season puts the Owls as the nation's only team to return the entire on-field coaching staff and the starting QB from the previous year.
Florida Atlantic was at the top of the Group of Six in returning offensive production, led by graduate QB Caden Veltkamp. Veltkamp guided a unit that finished the 2025 season No. 1 nationally in passing offense with 340.2 yards per game, while the QB himself finished the season ranked No. 1 nationally with 28.75 completed passes per game.
Defensively, Florida Atlantic brings back its leading tackler in graduate LB Leon Hart Jr. alongside DL CJ Doggette Jr., who paced the team with seven tackles for loss, including four sacks, a year ago.
The Gators have won the four previous meetings in the series that dates back to 2007. FAU was on the brink of a historic upset over the then-No. 8 Florida, falling just short in overtime, 20-14, on Nov. 21, 2015 in the Swamp.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television: SEC Network
Kickoff time: 7:45 p.m. ET
Announcers: Matt Schumacker (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst), Taylor Davis (reporter)
Channel Finder: Watch Online | Comcast | Verizon | Direct TV | Dish Network
Radio: Florida Atlantic Sports Network
Pregame Show: 7 p.m. ET
Announcers: Ken LaVicka (play-by-play), Chris Newbold (analyst), Mike Mrezcko (host, engineer)
Channel: FOX Sports South Florida
Streaming: Listen Live
WEATHER
- 84 degrees and humid at kickoff with a 30% chance of showers.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 1 — The Owls return graduate QB Caden Veltkamp, who led a unit that finished the 2025 season No. 1 nationally in passing offense with 340.2 yards per game. Veltkamp finished the season ranked No. 1 with 28.75 completed passes per game.
- 1 — The entire 2025 coaching staff returns for the 2026 campaign. Florida Atlantic is the only FBS school in the country that returns both its complete coaching staff and starting quarterback.
- 3 — Fifth-year WR Easton Messer and the Owls' return unit completed the 2025 season ranked No. 3 nationally in punt returns averaging 18.87 yards per return. Individually, Messer was No. 1 in receptions per game at 8.67.
- 5 — The season opener versus Florida is the fifth time the two teams have met.
- 9 — On nine different occasions in 2025, there was an Owl receiver with 100 plus yards in a game, a program single-season high.
GAME UNIFORM
Stepping into enemy territory⚠️ | WEEK 01 THREADS
— Florida Atlantic Football (@FAUFootball) September 2, 2026
🗓️Saturday, September 5th
📍Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
⌚️7:45 PM ET
📺 SEC Network#WIP🏝️ pic.twitter.com/tDVzloWEfH
CAPTAINS
YOUR 2026 TEAM CAPTAINS ‼️
— Florida Atlantic Football (@FAUFootball) August 5, 2026
📰 https://t.co/OamCdz2Lhz#WIP🏝️ pic.twitter.com/jKryxiOaBo
#WIP
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
QB
/ FootballFriday, October 30
Thursday, October 29
Wednesday, October 28
Wednesday, October 28