MBB to Meet Florida in Exhibition at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
8/25/2026 9:58:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Gators and Bears will square off Oct. 18 in Jacksonville exhibition
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Baylor men's basketball will take on preseason projected No. 1 Florida in an exhibition on Oct. 18 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, featuring two of the nation's premier programs in a marquee preseason matchup in Jacksonville.
Tip time and television information will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets will go on sale on Sept. 16, with a 24-hour presale one day prior.
This will be the first time since Nov. 24, 2023, where the Bears and Gators will meet. In 2023, No. 12 Baylor took down Florida in New York, 95-91.
Florida enters the 2026-27 season positioned among the nation's leading SEC and national championship contenders after winning the 2026 SEC regular-season championship. The Gators are ranked No. 1 in preseason projections from CBS Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated. Head coach Todd Golden returns more than 80-percent of the Gators' scoring and 11 players from last season's team, including four starters in All-America forward Thomas Haugh, guard Boogie Fland, forward Alex Condon, and NABC National Defensive Player of the Year forward Reuben Chinyelu.
Scott Drew is entering his 24th season in Waco, making him the fifth-longest tenured active head coach in the nation. The Bears advanced to the semifinals of the College Basketball Crown last season, and aim to build off that run with an influx of new talent coming into the program. Isaac Williams IV returns as the program's leading scorer at 10.4 points per game, but the Bears will also welcome seasoned transfers in Brett Decker (Liberty), Kayden Mingo (Penn State), Isaac Celiscar (Yale) and Evan Chatman (UAB). Baylor will also welcome a pair of top-40 prospects to the program, including five-star prospect Dylan Mingo – the younger brother of Kayden – and four-star standout Elijah Williams.
For more information on the event and to receive email alerts regarding future event news, follow Intersport Basketball on Twitter (X) and Instagram at @IntersportHoops.
About Intersport
Intersport is an award-winning agency that fills the empty space between marketing campaigns and consumers—helping brands make more meaningful connections. Its industry-leading team offers expert insights in content marketing, experiential marketing, hospitality, partnership consulting and platform development. The Chicago-based agency also owns and operates events across the professional and collegiate sports landscape, including basketball, football, golf, pickleball and volleyball. Intersport has been headquartered in Chicago since its inception in 1985 and has an additional office in Detroit. Learn more at www.intersport.global and on social media (LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook).
- BaylorBears.com -
Tip time and television information will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets will go on sale on Sept. 16, with a 24-hour presale one day prior.
This will be the first time since Nov. 24, 2023, where the Bears and Gators will meet. In 2023, No. 12 Baylor took down Florida in New York, 95-91.
Florida enters the 2026-27 season positioned among the nation's leading SEC and national championship contenders after winning the 2026 SEC regular-season championship. The Gators are ranked No. 1 in preseason projections from CBS Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated. Head coach Todd Golden returns more than 80-percent of the Gators' scoring and 11 players from last season's team, including four starters in All-America forward Thomas Haugh, guard Boogie Fland, forward Alex Condon, and NABC National Defensive Player of the Year forward Reuben Chinyelu.
Scott Drew is entering his 24th season in Waco, making him the fifth-longest tenured active head coach in the nation. The Bears advanced to the semifinals of the College Basketball Crown last season, and aim to build off that run with an influx of new talent coming into the program. Isaac Williams IV returns as the program's leading scorer at 10.4 points per game, but the Bears will also welcome seasoned transfers in Brett Decker (Liberty), Kayden Mingo (Penn State), Isaac Celiscar (Yale) and Evan Chatman (UAB). Baylor will also welcome a pair of top-40 prospects to the program, including five-star prospect Dylan Mingo – the younger brother of Kayden – and four-star standout Elijah Williams.
For more information on the event and to receive email alerts regarding future event news, follow Intersport Basketball on Twitter (X) and Instagram at @IntersportHoops.
About Intersport
Intersport is an award-winning agency that fills the empty space between marketing campaigns and consumers—helping brands make more meaningful connections. Its industry-leading team offers expert insights in content marketing, experiential marketing, hospitality, partnership consulting and platform development. The Chicago-based agency also owns and operates events across the professional and collegiate sports landscape, including basketball, football, golf, pickleball and volleyball. Intersport has been headquartered in Chicago since its inception in 1985 and has an additional office in Detroit. Learn more at www.intersport.global and on social media (LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook).
- BaylorBears.com -
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