College football is back this weekend in South Florida, home to a volatile concentration of alumni and fans of the three most decorated programs in this football-dominating state. Things could get spicy at the water cooler.
If you’re new to the area and looking for a Florida college team to adopt, consider giving each fan base a test drive at a watch party. We’ve got a few listed below.
Things to know before you go: Followers of the Florida Gators have nothing good to say about fans of the Florida State Seminoles and the Miami Hurricanes. Noles and Canes fans tolerate each other, but both hate the Gators. It’s just how it is.
Honestly, all of this good-natured divisiveness (yes, it’s possible) is mostly performative fun, tradition, part of the culture. For instance, the Gator and Seminole alumni clubs will host Saturday watch parties less than a football field away from each other on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach. There won’t be any trouble. Probably.
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But if you are looking for pure entertainment, the Florida Atlantic University Owls may be your team. Their new coach, Zach Kittley, is the youngest head coach in Division 1 football and an aggressive offensive innovator. During his college career, Kittley has coached three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes, had future-NFL quarterback Bailey Zappe throw for 500 yards in one game and seven touchdowns in another.
FAU Owls football will be anything but boring this season, beginning with their first game of the season against the Big Ten’s University of Maryland at noon Saturday.
You can watch with a group when Florida Atlantic Alumni host a party at The Standard Cuisine & Cocktails in Boca Raton (187 SE Mizner Blvd.; StandardFlorida.com) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those 21 and older in FAU gear will receive a free drink, and there will be 50% off wings while they last.
Response to the party has been “very strong,” says Wells Dusenbury, assistant director of FAU Alumni Communications. It’s been that way, he says, since the FAU basketball team’s historic appearance in the NCAA Final Four in 2023.
“Over the past few years, we’ve really seen engagement from our alumni continue to rise. I think the Owls’ Final Four run really re-energized our fanbase, sparking newfound excitement, passion and shared sense of community,” he says.
Kittley’s high-scoring air show doesn’t hurt.
“There’s definitely a palpable sense of excitement from Owl fans heading into the fall. Coach Kittley has a proven track record of orchestrating high-octane offenses, and the community is ready to rally around him and this program,” Dusenbury says.
Here are some of the watch-party options for Florida State University and the University of Florida on Saturday, and for the University of Miami on Sunday.
Florida State vs. Alabama
3:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC
The Seminoles open the season at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee against perennial superpower Alabama, a game that was scheduled back when FSU was good. It could be a quiet night on Tennessee Street.
Palm Beach County: The Palm Beach County Seminole Club will gather in familiar surroundings at Grease Burger Bar in West Palm Beach (213 Clematis St.; GreaseWPB.com), as well as Jumby Bay Island Grill in Jupiter (1203 Town Center Drive, Suite 101; JumbyBayIslandGrill.com). Noles who register for a wristband will have access to discounts on food and drink. Visit PBNoles.com.
Also recommended is Copperpoint Brewing Co. in Boynton Beach (151 Commerce Road; Facebook.com/CopperpointBrewingCo), which will pair the game with Tomahawk Chop IPA on tap and food from TMI Food Truck (noon-5 p.m.), Twisted Smoke BBQ (5-10 p.m.) and V’s Cakes (6-10 p.m.).
Broward County: The officially sanctioned watch party with the Seminole Club of Broward County will be at FSU’s longtime home at Slackers Bar & Grill in Fort Lauderdale (995 Marina Mile Blvd.; SlackersBarAndGrill.com). Visit Facebook.com/BrowardNoles.
Broward is also a hotbed of FSU alumni in the hospitality business, who can be counted on to throw a proper party. They include Galuppi’s in Pompano Beach (1103 N. Federal Highway; Facebook.com/Galuppis) and all three local locations of American Social, from Boca Raton to Fort Lauderdale and Miami (Facebook.com/AmericanSocial).
New this season is Dear Olivia Bar & Kitchen in Parkland (7805 N. University Drive; Instagram.com/dearoliviabarandkitchen), a classy comfort-food spot with plenty of TVs in the bar. One of the co-owners is Paul Greenberg (co-founder of the American Socials), a Noles’ Nole who once was a managing partner at iconic Tallahassee dive bar Potbelly’s.
FSU alum Paul Greenberg will host Seminoles watch parties at all of his American Social locations and at Dear Olivia Bar & Kitchen in Parkland. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Florida Gators vs. Long Island University
7 p.m. Saturday, SEC Network+
UF fans arriving on Clematis Street on Saturday night can’t get too fired up if Noles fans are licking their wounds up the street after a loss to Alabama. The Gators open their season with a home game against a school that may or may not have a football team — we’ll have to see when they get off the bus. But among the best known LIU alumni is billionaire Miami developer and philanthropist Jorge Pérez. So there’s that.
Palm Beach County: There will be four official Palm Beach County Gator Club events conveniently distributed across the county: Stormhouse Brewing in North Palm Beach (1201 US Highway 1, No. 15; Facebook.com/StormhouseBrewing), Roxy’s Pub in downtown West Palm Beach (309 Clematis St.; RoxysPub.com), Old Key Lime House in Lantana (300 E. Ocean Ave.; OldKeyLimeHouse1.com) and Bounce Delray Beach (33 SE Third Ave.; BounceSportingClub.com/delray). Visit Instagram.com/pbcgatorclub.
Broward County: You’ll find the Broward County Gator Club hosting its events at the Carolina Ale House in Weston (2618 Weston Road; CarolinaAleHouse.com) all season. Visit BrowardGators.com.
Old Key Lime House in Lantana is a longtime destination for Florida Gators fans on game day. (Old Key Lime House/Courtesy)
Miami Hurricanes vs. Notre Dame
7:30 p.m. Sunday, ABC
Note: New this season, Miami Hurricanes radio broadcasts also can be heard on WQAM-FM 104.3.
Are the Canes guaranteed victory over the Fighting Irish? Notre Dame’s leprechaun mascot, according to legend, finds its reward at the end of a rainbow. Luckily, the state ban on rainbows in Florida ensures the Irish will leave Hard Rock Stadium empty-handed.
Palm Beach County: Palm Beach County Canes will host two official watch parties at Duffy’s Sports Grill locations in Boynton Beach (6545 Boynton Beach Blvd.) and North Palm Beach (11588 US Highway 1); Duffysmvp.com. Visit Facebook.com/pbccanes. Another spot that has hosted Canes in Palm Beach County is Bounce Delray Beach (33 SE Third Ave.; BounceSportingClub.com/delray), which combines big-screen TVs and a youthful nightclub vibe.
Broward County: Because it’s a home game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Broward Canes do not have an official watch party scheduled. But there are plenty of Canes-friendly spots to watch the game in an orange-and-green crowd, among them Shenanigans Sports Pub in Dania Beach (1300 S. Federal Highway; ShenanigansSportsPub.com), Bokamper’s on the Intracoastal in Fort Lauderdale (3115 NE 32nd Ave.; Bokampers.com) and Carolina Ale House in Weston (2618 Weston Road; CarolinaAleHouse.com).
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on IG: @BenCrandell.
