Florida Cup

Last updated

Florida Cup
Florida Gators script logo.svg Florida State Seminoles alternate logo.svg Miami Hurricanes logo.svg
Florida Gators Florida State Seminoles Miami Hurricanes
Originated:2002
Current Holder:Florida (from 2019)

Florida (2)
2008 2019
Florida State (1)
2013
Miami (3)
2002 2003 2004

The Florida Cup (also known as the state championship of Florida) is the annual American football rivalry among the University of Florida Gators, Florida State University Seminoles and the University of Miami Hurricanes.

Contents

Along with the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy (given to the winner of the round robin between Army, Navy and Air Force), the Beehive Boot (a round-robin between all of the FBS teams in Utah; Utah, Utah State and BYU) and the Michigan MAC Trophy (Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan), the Florida Cup is one of the very few three-way college football rivalries that presents a trophy to the winner. However, it is unique in that it is the only three-way rivalry consisting of three Power Five conference teams with a trophy at stake.

History of the trophy

The trophy originated in 2002 by the Florida Sports Foundation, the official sports promotion and development organization of the state of Florida, and the Florida Championships Awards, Inc., is sponsored by the state of Florida given to either Florida State University, University of Florida or University of Miami for winning a round-robin against the other two teams in the same season (including bowl games if necessary). [1] The idea of finally having a trophy for the round robin winner between the three schools was enthusiastically endorsed by then-governor Jeb Bush.

Trophy design

The trophy was created by the Baldwin Hardware Corporation. It is designed to be a unique piece of art as well as representative of the traditional power of Florida's major collegiate football teams. The Florida Cup stands approximately 24 inches (0.6 m) tall and is composed of several elements. The base is crafted from solid cherry with the outline of the State of Florida and the football at the top in gold-plated solid pewter. The football is mounted on three curved, swirling "pillars" made from silver-plated solid brass that represent the state's three powerhouse football programs—the University of Miami, Florida State University, and the University of Florida.

Conference affiliations and game scheduling

The rivalry between the three schools has traditionally been non-conference; it was only in 2004 that Miami moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), joining Florida State, which played its first season as a member of the ACC in 1992. Prior to this move, Miami was in the Big East Conference, which it joined in 1991. Before joining their respective conferences, both teams had been independent. Florida has been in their conference, the Southeastern Conference (SEC), for much longer, having been one of its charter members in 1932.

Although Florida State has played both Miami and Florida annually for roughly 50 years, Florida has not played Miami in an annual series since 1987. The Florida Cup has been awarded to the winner of the round-robin between the three Florida schools since 2002. [1] Thus, the cup can only be awarded during years in which all three teams play against one another.[ citation needed ] Florida State defeated both Miami and Florida in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2022, and 2023, but was denied six additional Florida Cups because Florida and Miami did not play each other those years.[ citation needed ] The cup has been given only six times.[ citation needed ]

Miami won the first three Florida Cups awarded, having played Florida in the 2002 and 2003 regular seasons, and the 2004 Peach Bowl. Florida won its first Florida Cup in 2008, and Florida State won the 2013 Florida Cup with wins over Florida and Miami in the regular season. Florida won the most recent Florida Cup in 2019, having beaten Miami in the Camping World Kickoff and defeating Florida State in the regular season finale.

Future Cup years

As Florida and Miami do not play every season, the trophy is only up for grabs on years when the two schools meet. [2] Florida and Miami are slated to meet in Gainesville in 2024 and in Miami in 2025, so the Cup will be on the table in those years as well. However, 2025 will be the last year the Florida Cup is awarded for the foreseeable future (unless Florida and Miami are paired together in a bowl game), since Florida and Miami must play each other in order for the Cup to be handed out.

Tiebreaking procedures

Three way tie

Should the three way rivalry end in a tie (if Florida, Florida State and Miami all go 1–1 against the other two schools), the trophy would then go to the team that allows the fewest total points against the other two. If all three teams beat each other, and two of the three schools have given up the same number of points (and that number of points is lower than the number of points allowed by the third school) then the trophy goes to the school that won the head-to-head matchup with the other team it is tied with.

Should all three teams have given up the same number of points in the games against each other, the trophy then goes to the team that scored the most points against the two teams.

If that number is also tied (and the only way that this is possible is if all three teams won one game and lost the other game by exactly the same score), then, the award is officially shared between the three schools, and all three schools receive official recognition as state champion; however, the previous winner retains possession of the trophy until the next season in which it is awarded.

Split Match-ups

Should two teams play each other multiple times in the same season (in the case of Florida and Florida State or Florida and Miami, first in the regular season and then again in a bowl game, or in the case of Florida State and Miami, first in the regular season and then again in the ACC Championship Game or in a bowl game) and the two teams split the match ups, the school that amasses the better combined score against that opponent in those two match ups gets recognized as the winner between those two schools in the round robin standings among the three schools. Should the two schools beat each other by the same margin in the two games, the team that surrendered fewer total points in the two match ups against that opponent is recognized as the winner, and if the two schools beat each other by the same final score, the team with the greater margin of victory over the third team in the rivalry receives recognition as the winner.

If all the above criteria are still tied in the case of teams meeting multiple times in a season, the award is shared between those schools, and both schools receive official recognition as the state champion. However, the school among the two that are tied that most recently won the award outright retains possession of the trophy.

Results table

Florida victoriesFlorida State victoriesMiami victoriesTied games and future events

1958–2001

SeasonState ChampionFlorida–Florida StateFlorida–MiamiFlorida State–Miami
1958Florida21–712–917–6
1959Florida18–823–147–6
1960Florida3–018–025–7
1962Miami20–77–617–15
1963Florida7–027–2124–0
1964Florida State16–712–1014–0
1966Miami22–1921–1623–20
1969Florida21–635–1616–14
1970Florida38–2714–1327–3
1971Florida17–1545–1620–17
1972Florida42–1317–637–14
1973Florida49–014–714–10
1974Florida24–1431–721–14
1975Florida34–815–1124–22
1976Florida33–2619–1047–0
1977Florida State37–931–1423–17
1978Florida State38–2122–2131–21
1979Florida State27–1630–2440–23
1980Miami17–1331–710–9
1981Miami35–321–2027–19
1982Florida13–1017–1424–7
1983Florida53–1428–317–16
1984Florida27–1732–2038–3
1985Florida38–1435–2335–27
1986Miami17–1323–1541–23
1987Miami28–1431–426–25
2000Miami30–737–2027–24
Records prior to Cup establishment
TeamState titlesWLPct.
 Florida 153616.692
Miami72329.442
Florida State42230.407

2002–present

SeasonState ChampionFlorida–Florida StateFlorida–MiamiFlorida State–Miami
2002Miami31–1441–1628–27
2003Miami38–3438–3322–14; 16–14*
2004Miami20–1327–1016–10
2008Florida45–1526–341–39
2013Florida State37–721–1641–14
2019Florida40–1724–2027–10
2024TBDNovember 30August 31October 26
2025TBDNovember 29September 20TBD

    Notes

    • Two meetings have come in bowl games, Florida State vs. Miami in the * 2004 Orange Bowl (2003 season) and Florida vs. Miami in the December 2004 Peach Bowl
    Records since Cup established
    TeamTrophiesLastWLPct.
    Miami3 2004 94.692
     Florida 2 2019 57.417
    Florida State1 2013 58.385

    See also

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona–Arizona State football rivalry</span> College football rivalry

    The Arizona–Arizona State football rivalry is a college football rivalry between the University of Arizona Wildcats (UA) and the Arizona State University Sun Devils (ASU).

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami Hurricanes football</span> University of Miami American football team

    The Miami Hurricanes football team represents the University of Miami in college football. The Hurricanes compete in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of collegiate football in the nation. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, one of the five Power Five conferences in college football. The program began in 1926. Since then, it has since won five AP national championships in 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 2001.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida–Miami football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

    The Florida–Miami football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Florida Gators football team of the University of Florida and Miami Hurricanes football team of the University of Miami. The game was played annually from 1944 until 1987, and is now played intermittently. The winning team was formerly awarded the Seminole War Canoe Trophy. Today, the round robin winner of the three biggest schools in the state of Florida receives the Florida Cup for beating the other two schools in the same season. The two teams will next play in the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Miami leads the series 29–27.

    The 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition and concluded with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant. One of Bryant's former players, Gene Stallings, was the head coach, and he used a style similar to Bryant's, a smashmouth running game combined with a tough defense.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 NCAA Division I-A football season</span> American college football season

    The 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first college football season of the 21st century. It ended with the University of Miami winning the national title for the fifth time.

    The 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami, led by Bernie Kosar, winning their first national championship over perennial power and top ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Victory Bell (Cincinnati–Miami)</span> College football rivalry game

    The Miami–Cincinnati Victory Bell is the trophy awarded to the winner of the American college football rivalry game played by the Cincinnati Bearcats football team of the University of Cincinnati and the Miami RedHawks football team of Miami University. The Victory Bell is the oldest current non-conference college football rivalry in the United States, the oldest rivalry in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, having first played in 1888, and being only tied with the UNC-Wake Forest rivalry, and the Carolina-Duke football game, both of which were first played in 1888, And is also the fourth-most played college football rivalry game, with 127 meetings total.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Gators football</span> Team representing the University of Florida in American college football

    The Florida Gators football program represents the University of Florida (UF) in American college football. Florida competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) They play their home games on Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville campus.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football</span> University of Hawaii football team

    The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team represents the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in NCAA Division I FBS college football. It was part of the Western Athletic Conference until July 2012, when the team joined the Mountain West Conference.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Seminoles football</span> Team representing Florida State University in American football

    The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in the sport of American football. The Seminoles compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The team is currently coached by Mike Norvell, and plays home games at Doak Campbell Stadium, the 15th largest stadium in college football, located on-campus in Tallahassee, Florida. The Seminoles previously competed as part of the ACC Atlantic Division.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama Crimson Tide football</span> University of Alabama Football Team

    The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team is currently led by Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide is among the most storied and decorated football programs in NCAA history. Since beginning play in 1892, the program claims 18 national championships, including 13 wire-service national titles in the poll-era, and five other titles before the poll-era. From 1958 to 1982, the team was led by Hall of Fame coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, who won six national titles with the program. Alabama then had a dominant run under head coach Nick Saban between 2007 and 2023, resulting in six further national titles.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">UCF Knights</span> Athletic program of the University of Central Florida

    The UCF Knights are the athletic teams that represent the University of Central Florida in unincorporated Orange County, Florida near Orlando. The Knights participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I as a member of the Big 12 Conference. Since men's soccer is not sponsored by the Big 12, they play in the Sun Belt Conference.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Beehive Boot</span> Three-way American sports rivalry

    The Beehive Boot, which signifies instate football supremacy among Division I FBS universities from the state of Utah, began in the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. The authentic pioneer boot, which is estimated to be well over 100 years old, is typically awarded annually to the Utah school with the best record against its instate NCAA Division I FBS foes. The schools that compete for the boot are Brigham Young, Utah, and Utah State. Weber State was originally eligible to win the trophy and games against them counted towards their opponents' record when determining the winner of the trophy. It is unclear when this stopped being the case, but it was at least by 2012, when Utah State won the trophy over BYU.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">War on I-4</span> Rivalry between the South Florida Bulls and UCF Knights

    The War on I-4 is a college rivalry between the University of Central Florida Knights and University of South Florida Bulls. The rivalry is best known for its college football matchup which originated in a series of football games played from 2005 to 2008 and now takes place on Thanksgiving weekend, the de facto "rivalry weekend" for FBS football. In 2013, when UCF joined the American Athletic Conference, the schools began competing annually in all sports. In 2016, the schools officially adopted the "War on I-4" as an official competition series. Each year, the team with the most wins across all sports receives a gold trophy styled after an Interstate 4 (I-4) road sign with the logos of each school. The winner of the annual football game also receives a similar trophy.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Tech Hokies football</span> College Football Bowl Subdivision team

    The Virginia Tech Hokies football team represents Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the sport of American football. The Hokies compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They previously competed in the Big East. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium, located in Blacksburg, Virginia, with a seating capacity of over 65,000 fans. Lane Stadium is considered to be one of the loudest stadiums in the country, being voted number two in ESPN's 2007 "Top 20 Scariest Places to Play". It was also recognized in 2005 by Rivals.com as having the best home-field advantage in the country.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston–Rice rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

    The Houston–Rice rivalry is a crosstown college rivalry between the Houston Cougars of the University of Houston and Rice Owls of Rice University. The universities are located approximately five miles from one another. It is one of the few NCAA Division I crosstown rivalries, especially between institutions that field Division I Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State–Miami football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

    The Florida State–Miami football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Florida State Seminoles football team of Florida State University and Miami Hurricanes football team of the University of Miami. Since the late 1980s, one or both squads have been highly ranked entering the game, adding national championship implications to an already heated rivalry. Kicks have played an important role in the series with many wide right, wide left, blocks and other mistakes occurring with the game in the balance. Miami leads the series 35–33 through the 2023 season.

    The Choke at Doak was a 1994 college football game between the Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles. The game is one of the most memorable in the heated Florida–Florida State football rivalry and tied the NCAA record for the biggest fourth-quarter comeback. In the matchup of 9–1 cross-state rivals at Florida State's Doak Campbell Stadium, Florida squandered a 28-point fourth quarter lead and allowed the Seminoles to tie the score at 31 in the final minutes. Because the game occurred before the advent of overtime in college football, it ended in a tie that would be regarded very differently by each team's fan base. The post season Sugar Bowl featured a rematch of the Seminoles vs Gators. Before the game commenced, the score board indicated 5th quarter.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Lightning–Panthers rivalry</span> National Hockey League rivalry

    The Lightning–Panthers rivalry, also known as the Battle of Florida, is an American professional ice hockey rivalry between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers. Both the Lightning and the Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Atlantic Division. In past seasons, the rivalry has been recognized in a trophy known as the Governor's Cup, also called the Sunshine Cup and later the Nextel Cup Challenge.

    References

    1. 1 2 Bendesky, Neal (August 23, 2002). "Florida Cup Will Honor State Collegiate Champs". Scout.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013. Beginning in 2002, thanks to a partnership between the Florida Sports Foundation, Florida Championship Awards, Inc., and Baldwin Hardware Corporation, one of the Big 3 will finally receive recognition by being awarded The Florida Cup, symbolic of the state champion in college football.
    2. Daughters, Amy. "The Florida Cup and other three-way rivalry trophies up for grabs in 2019". FBSchedules. Retrieved January 27, 2023.