The Florida Gators are returning to 95.3 WDAE and AM 620 in Tampa, FL following a six-year hiatus from the iHeartMedia brand. In an announcement Wednesday morning, WDAE announced a multi-year agreement to carry Florida Gators football and men’s basketball games on the Tampa Bay sports radio outlet beginning this coming season.
This marks the first time since 2019 that WDAE and the Florida Gators renew their historically long relationship which lasted more than a decade. Previously, the University of South Florida came to an agreement with the Tampa Bay radio outlet in 2019, but it left in 2022 for Cox Communications’ 102.5 The Bone, along with the broadcasting rights to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“The ink is literally drying as we speak. The contract is just officially signed, and something pretty cool is coming to WDAE,” said Nick Wize, Program Director of WDAE. “We are the going to be the brand new home of the Florida Gators.”
Wize mentioned that due to the contractual obligations with the Tampa Bay Rays, any Florida Gators games will then air on 1250am WHNZ. All games will also be streaming on iHeartRadio.
“I am beyond excited to be the new home of the Florida Gators,” said Wize in a statement to Barrett Media. “I couldn’t be happier to bring the Gators and SEC football and basketball to Tampa Bay on WDAE.”
Since 2019, the Florida Gators radio network was heard locally in Tampa Bay on WGUL 860AM.
The addition of the Florida Gators to WDAE is just the latest move since iHeartMedia’s latest layoffs in November of 2024. Following the cuts, the radio station added The Herd with Colin Cowherd in the midday timeslot vacated by Jay Recher and Zac Blobner, who were part of the layoffs. Nick Wize was announced as the new Program Director a week following the dismissal of John Mamola, and the station severed ties with their carriage of ESPN Radio talk programming for FOX Sports radio.
Currently the station lineup consists of The Pat and Aaron Show with Pat Donovan and Aaron Jacobson in mornings followed by Dan Patrick and Colin Cowherd along with The Drive with TKras hosted by Tom Krasniqi.
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