The Florida Gators football team is part of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) . The University of Florida is a founding member of the SEC, which began play in 1933, and the Gators have been recognized as one of the premier athletic programs in the conference since the early 1990s. The SEC has awarded an All-Sports Trophy to the best overall sports program in the conference since 1984, and Florida has won the award 28 times as of 2023.