UF/IFAS AgriGator * UF Gator "SWAMP"

Welcome to "The Swamp"

Home of the Fightin' Gators

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field -- the site of the largest football crowd (collegiate or professional) in state of Florida History (85,700+ November 25, 1995 vs. FSU) -- has moved into the national spotlight in recent years as one of collegiate football's best stadiums, from a player and fan standpoint.
The 1995 season marks the 66th year that Florida Field is the home of the Gators. Prior to the 1989 season, Florida Field took on the expanded name of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in honor of Ben Hill Griffin, Jr., a life-long Gator supporter and fan who has been extremely benevolent and generous to several sectors at the University of Florida prior to his passing in March of 1990. Florida Field was originally dedicated on November 8, 1930 when Florida met Alabama. Over the years, Florida Field has become a standing remembrance to all Floridians who have died in military service to our nation.
With the crowning jewel of Florida Field -- the north endzone expansion project - - completed prior to the 1991 season, capacity now stands at 83,000, making Florida Field one of the eight largest on-campus stadiums in the nation. With the addition of the 10,000 seats, the 1991, 1992 and 1993 seasons saw UF draw the top 18 crowds (collegiate, professional, bowl and Super Bowl games) in the state of Florida history.
The addition, which transformed Florida Field form a horseshoe to a bowl, cost $17 million and involved no state funding. The structure added 18 skyboxes to the stadium, which now has 46 skyboxes. Also, the structure has 2,000 clue-level seats, 1,300 covered chairback seats, 5,000 upper-level chairbacks, concession stands and a gift shop. The structure is home to Gator Boosters, Inc., which funds men's and women's athletic scholarships and capital improvement projects.
In August 1982, the south end-zone project was completed and raised the seating capacity of ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field to over 72,000 and gave the Gator football program one of the nation's top collegiate stadiums. Since that time, Florida has ranked in the top 15 nationally in attendance for 11 consecutive years.
The 18,000 seats with the 1982 expansion and the addition of a athletic training center located beneath the stands in the south endzone, were all part of a master plan to develop athletic facilities at Florida that are second to none. The Ben Hill Griffin, Jr., Athletic Training Center, the luxury skyboxes and a spacious and highly-functional press box combined to make Florida Field the premier collegiate stadium in the state of Florida.
The original stadium, constructed in 1930, consisted of the lower half of the current stadium. Seating capacity was 21,769. The entire stadium was constructed below ground. In 1950, over 11,000 seats were added on the west side and another 7,000 were provided by bleachers on the east side. The additions brought seating capacity to 40,116. Additional bleacher seats were added during the 1950s, bringing capacity to 46,164 by 1960. In December of 1965, construction started again on further additions that added over 10,000 permanent seats on the east side and temporary bleachers moved from the east side to the south endzone, providing a total capacity of 62,800 (56,164 permanent seats). The south endzone expansion in '82 enclosed the south end of the stadium, and brought the capacity to 72,000. The north endzone transformed the horseshoe into a bowl and raised capacity to 83,000.
Also new for the 1990 season was the all-natural grass playing surface which was installed during the summer, shortly after the arrival of head football coach, Steve Spurrier. The natural grass surface replaced an artificial surface which had been in place since 1971. Spurrier has tagged Florida Field "The Swamp" as the Gator mentor ends the 1996 season at home over his six years at the helm.
The 1996 season ended with a 12-1 record resulting in the UF GATORS being the

1991, '93, '94, '95 and '96 SEC Football Champion

-AND -

1996 National Champion

For more information about the University of Florida's Fightin' Gators visit the NaviGator, the WWW home for the UF Athletic Association.

Reprinted from the University of Florida Athletic Association Guide.