FAN FOR A DAY: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, more affectionately known as The Swamp, is home to the Gators of the University of Florida. As I write this at the start of 2023, the Swamp currently seats almost 90,000 fans. With an annual enrollment of 60,000 students and an alumni network of 450,000 strong, you will want to make sure you are planning your trip to go to a game well in advance. Your hotel should be booked months beforehand as well as your ticket to attend the game of your choice.

Be aware that there is a very heavy tailgating scene throughout the campus. Be cautious of traffic and arrive early on campus to avoid such delays. While waiting for the game to start, there are a number of restaurants to enjoy, you can walk around the campus, or you can take photos with the many bronze gators and Heisman statues!

The stadium is lauded as one of the toughest environments for a visiting team, as the heat and noise from the fans can exhaust even the most formidable of opponents. Speaking of heat – the design of the stadium cuts off any breeze that could possibly flow through, which means you need to dress accordingly and stay hydrated! If you do not have any Florida garb yet, head to the campus bookstore to find all the gear you could possibly want! Keep in mind that when deciding on your outfit, do not coordinate your look with a purse or a backpack, as those are a couple of the prohibited items into the stadium. Opt for a clear bag or a small clutch bag (4.5” by 6.5”).

For hydration, you are allowed to bring an empty commercially branded water bottle into the stadium no larger than 20 oz., or you can purchase drinks in The Swamp (including beer)! You are not allowed to bring in outside food into the stadium, and while there are plenty of pizza, pretzel, popcorn, and hotdog options, I would not come hungry to the stadium, as I don’t find the concessions here to be amazing. If you are looking for breakfast, head to The Flying Biscuit, a chain restaurant where you can find typical breakfast food. For lunch, I’d go to Satchel’s Pizza. (This quirky place fills up quickly, but you can park in the lot next to Satchel’s if you can’t find a spot.) For dinner, enjoy steak at Embers Wood Grill!  

When choosing where to sit, be careful of your selection! If you are sitting in the east side section of the stadium, depending on the time of day – you WILL be baking in the sun! You also do not want to show up and find out you are sitting with the opposing team’s fans or behind the very loud and fabulous marching band. Please refer to the Florida Gator Football website for more detailed seating information. There are a handful of seats with seatbacks in The Swamp, however, the majority of the seats do not have any backs. Not only does this mean you will be shoulder to shoulder with people, but this also means you cannot lean back and relax. While you may see cushions with seatbacks in photos of the stadium (like the one below), those are reserved for season ticket holders. As the majority of the seats are cold hard bleachers, you ARE permitted to bring a seat cushion (it just can’t have any arms or back). Last time we were in the stadium, there were seat cushion rentals as well!

Tips from a Gator alum:

·      2.5 hours before kickoff outside the stadium, you will find the Gator Walk. This is where the team, head coach, and staff walk into the stadium, and fans surround them. This is a great opportunity to be up close and personal with the team, and even high five the players!

·      Brush up on the lyrics to Tom Petty’s, “I Won’t Back Down,” (this song is sang during the third quarter break) and “We Are the Boys from Old Florida,” (this song is played and sung at the end of the third quarter. Traditionally fans sway shoulder to shoulder while singing)

·      Head into the stadium early to see the pomp and pageantry of the game! This includes performances from the marching band, the mascot entrance, the team entrance, and Mr. 2-Bits.

·      Main rival games where the attendance will be the busiest and the crowds will be the rowdiest are as follows: FSU, Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, and Alabama.

·      Be aware of the opposing teams’ colors. For example, if you attend the Tennessee game, do not wear orange

Go Gators!