Paul Finebaum says Billy Napier doing "one thing he couldn’t afford to do" reduced the support from Gainesville fanbase

Florida, led by coach Billy Napier, kicked off the 2024 college football season with a disappointing 41-17 home loss to in-state rival Miami on Saturday. The team could have done without the loss to start the season after two underwhelming seasons in Gainesville.

This has immediately placed more pressure on Napier as he is set to navigate arguably the toughest schedule in the landscape. ESPN radio host Paul Finebaum, on Sunday, explained what the loss to the Hurricanes meant for the coach in his appearance on “The Matt Barrie Show.”

“I thought about that as the afternoon wore on and as the seats were emptying yesterday. It just felt like the one thing Billy Napier couldn’t afford to do, he did,” Finebaum said regarding the drop in support for Napier.

The level of support for Billy Napier prior to the game

Despite his 11-14 in the last seasons, there was a renewed energy to support Napier among fans and decision-makers at Florida. Finebaum, who was in Gainesville to cover the game, explained how strong the support for Napier was before the game against Miami.

“I usually like to get right to the point but I want to just take us up to the kickoff yesterday. Because being in Gainesville on Friday, positivity, talking to students. You know, ‘We’re not happy with the record but we’re behind Billy Napier,’” Paul Finebaum said.

“Then, the zenith of the afternoon came at about four o’clock when I sat down with Scott Stricklin … He said, ‘You can’t make changes every three years. We’re in this thing for the long haul. We believe in Billy Napier. He’s done things correctly. He’s done things methodically and we believe Billy Napier will be here for a very long time.'”

Nonetheless, many fans have doubts following the loss to the Hurricanes on Saturday. It remains to be seen whether Napier will be able to survive this season in Gainesville.

What next for Napier in Florida?

Just as many analysts had predicted before the commencement of the season, Napier is now on the hot seat in Florida following the drastic fall in his support after the loss on Saturday. There's a real threat to his job.

“The credibility he gained in the off-season, the goodwill, Tim Tebow telling me Friday afternoon, Saturday morning that Billy Napier probably should be coach of the year with a seven or eight-win season, it just seemed like it all went down the drain at The Swamp,” Finebaum said.

Things could get even worse for Napier considering the schedule the Gators have to navigate this season. The program still has to face Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State, creating the possibility of a disastrous season.