Knight fans invaded Gator country
This review of the visiting fans’ experience at the University of Florida has to begin with a disclaimer. I was raised in a Gator household. I was one of four boys born in about a five year window more than 5 decades ago. To this day, my three brothers are all avid Gator fans and boosters (Even though one brother never attended UF.) I grew up going to Florida Field in Gainesville during the coaching days of Doug Dickey. Unlike my brothers, I grew up to make my own choices, including enrolling at UCF. I have to appreciate that my father, a yankee from the Bronx in New York City, decided to start regularly making the trek from our home in Clearwater, to Gainsville, to see games on a regular basis. While, unlike my brothers, the love for UF didn’t stick around for me, it is responsible for instilling in me the love of college football and all the unique traditions and lore that revolve around the game.

The Wild West of Tailgating
With that disclosure out of the way, I will begin by revealing that I had not been to a game in Gainesville for many years. In fact the last time I was there, the Knights were also there to play the Gators. Maybe it is due to the fact that I am older now and likely to look at things through a nostalgic lens, but I appreciated this past Saturday’s time in Gainesville in a way that I have never done before. While fans visiting Gator country can certainly have different experiences depending on who crosses their path, I found that the gameday experience in Gainesville embodied something very different from what you find in the Kingdom, from the tailgates to the in-stadium experience.
The one thing in common between the tailgaters at UCF and UF is the fact that many of them will show up early and stake out the same spot week after week. Whenever I get back to Orlando for a game, I can count on people like my friend Heather, along with her husband Sebastian and their wonderful kids, setting up early in the morning by the water in the softball lot. I saw this same phenomenon happening in Gainesville. One of the characters that I came across during the tailgating was Jack. He is a UF alumni and faculty member. He and his brother have been tailgating under the same oak tree outside of the psychology building on campus since 1980. His tailgate trailer is decorated with ticket stubs and photos from all 44 of those seasons. This wall of memories documents everything from memorable games to forgettable seasons and even personal milestones, like the birth of children and the passing of loved ones. Like many of the fans that I met on this trip, Jack was friendly and welcoming, but quick to trot out the same tired jokes that anyone around a Gator fan would recognize.
A difference between tailgating at UCF and UF is the fact that the campus in Gainesville is more spread out and less manicured than our campus in Orlando. The result of this difference allows tailgaters to set up their tents, grills, tables and chairs in random spots around the campus. Right next to a parking lot that costs thousands of dollars a year for game days, you find grassy spots with tree coverage around academic buildings, student housing and administrative offices. What do you need to get one of these spots? Show up early, pull your vehicle over the curb, and claim your territory. Hilariously, some of the tailgaters came prepared with official looking stakes and barrier tape to close off the space from others who might try to follow suit and set up their own tailgate. Can you imagine pulling your car or truck over the curb next to a building on campus at UCF and setting up your tailgate, without hearing from campus police?
One thing that was unique about this tailgating experience was the fact that there were so many divided tailgates throughout the campus. Fans wearing black and gold, sitting under the same tents as those in orange and blue. It was not uncommon to see Knight and Gator tents side by side, sharing the same space, food, drinks and laughs. In fact, my own tailgate experience started at my brother’s tailgate, and had more than one UCF representation, including one tailgater who has a child at each school.

In summary, the UF tailgaters are passionate, early arrivers and look at tailgating like pioneers looked at the west, ready to stake their claim by simply showing up and occupying the space. Sure, their arrogance and sense of superiority was unmistakable, but you also get the sense that not only do they love their team, but they also love the traditions and activities that come along with a program that has been around since 1906.
Stadium and In-Game Experience
The Florida program has been around for 118 years, and at times it looks like it in the stadium, but the powers that be at UF have done a pretty good job of keeping up with the times in terms of the stadium, the atmosphere and the expressions of traditions.
There is no way around the fact that Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is old. But the effect of this aging is mitigated by maintenance efforts and updates. You can tell, when visiting the stadium, that it is the result of additions and adaptations over the years. If they were starting with a new stadium, from the ground up, it would surely be a more symmetrical structure with more internal infrastructure. Looking at the seating, you can see that it is a little lopsided. Not one side is a true reflection of the opposite side of the stadium that faces it. It is obvious that seating has been added as the demand and popularity of the team grew. While it might not have a sense of symmetry, one thing they have done well is add seats in the upper levels that are steep and towering. From inside the stadium, standing on the field, it makes for an imposing feeling when it’s filled with screaming fans.

Mentioning the fan’s presence in the stadium, one has to reflect on the fact that this fanbase is passionate and shows up early. Even in a year when nearly all Gator fans are dissatisfied and calling for the head coach to be fired, by the time the coin toss happened to start the game, nearly every seat was filled with fans ready to be heard. And heard they were. Be it due to their passions, or the shape of the stadium, the whole place acted as an amplifier, booming out every moment of approval and disapproval. This was driven home by the fact that while there were far fewer Knight fans in attendance, they could be heard. While there wasn’t much for the Knights to cheer for during the game, when the national anthem got to the “could be seen through the KNIGHTS” it was so loud and punctuated that it literally gave me a jolt all the way up in the press box.
While the stadium is old (which could certainly be seen in the open air, non-air conditioned press box) it has been updated with something that most fans care about. The most notable of these features was the abundance and strength of the Wifi signal. Dotted throughout the stadium seating area were small boxes that allowed fans to stay connected to social media, scores of other games, and even the ability to stream games on their phones. The fans and administration at UF embrace the future and the past simultaneously. To put it simply, they do traditions really well. They celebrate their past, their community and their fans. They embraced their connection to Gainesville’s favorite son, Tom Petty, by making Saturday “Tom Petty Day.” During multiple breaks in the action, various songs from the Tom Petty catalog played, while old and young fans alike belted out the well known lyrics. (Note: No Frankie Valli) They also embrace the history of their fans, with a whole squad of people paying tribute to a character known as “two bits” who cheered on the Gators for decades before he passed away in 2019 at 97 years old. Much of their celebration of their past was also participated by all their fans. They sang together and swayed together during songs that everyone knew.
To sum all of this up, while we might not like the Gators and their constant “we’re better than you in every way” attitude, they absolutely do tailgating, the in-game experience, and the expression of traditions, better than most schools. What they have is different from what we have at UCF. We are younger and don’t have over a century of tradition to guide us. There is no way to know if UF will keep the Knights on their schedule in the future, but if they do, the short drive to Gainesville is worth it for the sake of seeing something different than what you get at UCF.
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