The Gators competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

They played their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida, campus, and the 2013 season was the Gators' third under head coach Will Muschamp.

They opened with a 24–6 home win over Toledo, then fell 21–16 to in-state rival Miami in a game in which the Gators gained almost twice as many yards as the Hurricanes but committed 5 turnovers, including a crucial late interception in the red zone.

The Gators next beat the SEC rival Tennessee Volunteers at home but lost starting quarterback Jeff Driskel for the rest of the season with a broken leg.

[4] Despite calls from the fanbase to fire Will Muschamp for the team's performance, UF athletic director Jeremy Foley repeated several times that he would remain the Gators head coach through 2014.