WATCH FOR a big week of buildup in the college football world as the third-ranked Florida State Seminoles host the sixth-ranked Miami Hurricanes in Tallahassee on Saturday.
ESPN’s College Football Gameday will be live at Langford Green outside of Doak Campbell Stadium Saturday morning, the game will be televised nationally on ESPN Saturday night.
It will mark the first time the two teams have met while being ranked in the Top 10 since 2004 and both teams are undefeated with 7-0 records.
Give this week’s Florida Football Central a look to see the progress of Florida’s other ranked teams. The University of Central Florida Knights are currently ranked 19th in the Associated Press Poll, the highest ranking in school history. The 7-1 Bethune-Cookman Wildcats are ranked 13th in the FCS Poll.
WATCH FOR a big night at the American Airlines Arena Tuesday. Not only is it opening night of the 2013-14 season for the Miami Heat against the Chicago Bulls, the players will be presented with their 2013 NBA Championship Rings.
It’s their third banner-raising party in seven years, and the second one they’ll hold in a span of 12 months.
A pair of 3D videos that will turn the court into a theater screen and even the infamous yellow rope — which got attention for all the wrong reasons in Game 6 of last season’s NBA Finals against San Antonio — will be part of the show Tuesday when the Heat distribute their newest championship rings before the team’s season-opener against the Chicago Bulls.
WATCH FOR a second week of Ironman 70.3 Triathlons in the State of Florida. Panama City Beach hosts this weekend following up last weekend’s event in Miami.
Miami offered more than just a pretty backdrop as the first test of endurance began with a 1.2-mile swim through the harsh currents of Biscayne Bay. The cycling portion took racers toward the Everglades for a 56-mile roundtrip ride back to downtown. Racers finished the last 13.1 miles in a foot race to the finish at Bayfront Park.
In Panama City Beach, the swim takes place in the Gulf of Mexico and gives spectators a bird’s eye view of the entire course. Athletes are challenged by a fast, flat, one-loop bicycle course. Winds are typically light in the morning, but become more challenging later in the day.
The two-loop run course, while flat, has many turns throughout the local neighborhoods. The course also winds through St. Andrew’s State Park, a favorite among participants for its shaded areas and wildlife.
There are 50 qualifying slots for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, HI up for grabs in Panama City Beach. Both events were recipients of a Florida Sports Foundation Grant and are expected to bring over 21,000 out-of-state visitors and $14 million in economic impact.
WATCH FOR the final three qualifiers for the 2013 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships in Ormond Beach, Sanford and Martin County.
While the Ormond Beach Senior Games will be wrapping up this weekend, The Golden Age Games and Martin County Senior Games will be starting.
Sanford’s Golden Age Games are the “Nation’s Oldest Senior Games and begin on Saturday, November 2 and run for a week through Saturday, November 9.
Now in its 24th year, the Martin County Senior Games opens Friday, November 1 as well with approximately 600 athletes competing. The golf competition kicks things off at the Martin County Golf Course.
The 2013 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships Registration Book has been distributed statewide. Online Registration is available for athletes and the registration deadline is November 22. Approximately 2,000 athletes are expected to compete in the 22nd Annual Games in Lee County, December 7-15.
The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications, Nick Gandy. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.
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