Florida Gators

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Florida Gators
University	University of Florida
Conference	Southeastern Conference
NCAA	Division I
Athletics director	Jeremy Foley
Location	Gainesville, FL
Varsity teams	21
Football stadium	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, known as "The Swamp"
Basketball arena	Stephen C. O'Connell Center, known as "The O'Dome"
Baseball stadium	Alfred A. McKethan Stadium, known as "McKethan Stadium"
Other arenas	Florida Lacrosse Facility James G. Pressly Stadium Pressly Softball Stadium Linder Stadium Mark Bostick Golf Course
Mascot	Albert and Alberta
Nickname	Gators
Fight song	The Orange and Blue
Colors	Orange and Blue
Homepage	GatorZone.com

The "Florida Gators" are the athletic teams that collectively represent the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used for the Gators women's teams. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as the "Gator Nation."

Twenty of 21 Gators athletic teams compete in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference,^[1] of which the university is a charter member, and all Gators teams compete in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I. The Florida athletic program is administered by the University Athletic Association (UAA), a private non-profit corporation that reports to the president of the university and its board of trustees.^[2] For the 2009-2010 school year, the UAA has an operating budget of $85,832,812, projected revenues of $90,744,037, and will make a $6 million contribution to the university's general fund.^[3] Jeremy Foley has served as Florida's athletic director since 1992.

All Gators teams have on-campus facilities, and most are located on Stadium Road, including Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for football, the Stephen C. O'Connell Center for basketball, gymnastics, swimming and diving, indoor track and field, and volleyball, Alfred A. McKethan Stadium for baseball, and James G. Pressly Stadium for soccer and outdoor track and field. The Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium and the Florida Lacrosse Facility are located on Hull Road on the southwestern side of the campus. The Mark Bostick Golf Course and Scott Linder Stadium for tennis are located on S.W. Second Avenue on the northwestern side of the campus.

The Gators athletic program has been recognized as one of the best in the nation and has been the best overall in the SEC over the past two decades. During the 2008-2009 school year, the men's and women's teams combined to win the Southeastern Conference All-Sports Trophy for the 19th time in the past 22 years. Every year since 1983, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has recognized the Gators athletic program as one of the ten best overall Division I athletic programs in the country in its annual Director's Cup standings.^[4]

The Gators won the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournaments and the 2006 BCS National Championship in football, all in the space of 366 days. Florida is the only school in NCAA history to hold the men's basketball and football championships during the same school year. In January 2009, the Florida Gators won the 2008 BCS National Championship with a 24-14 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners.

Contents 1 Athletics Overview 2 Football 3 Baseball 4 Men's Basketball 5 Women's Basketball 6 Cross Country 7 Golf 8 Gymnastics 9 Lacrosse 10 Soccer 11 Softball 12 Swimming & Diving 13 Tennis 14 Track & Field 15 Volleyball 16 Former Varsity Sports 17 Olympic Games 18 Cheerleading & Spirit programs 18.1 Marching Band & Gatorettes 19 All-Sports Rankings 19.1 NACDA Directors' Cup 19.2 SEC All-Sports Trophy 20 National Championships 21 Southeastern Conference Championships 22 Athletic Facilities 23 Notable people 24 Florida Gators Benefactors 25 References 26 External links

[edit] Athletics Overview

The University of Florida was one of the 13 charter members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Previously, the university was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1912 to 1921, and the Southern Conference from 1922 until the SEC was founded in 1933. The Florida sports teams officially adopted orange and blue as the school colors in 1910, purportedly representing a combination of the main colors of the two major institutions that merged to form the university in 1905.^[5] With the state of Florida being home to an estimated 1 million alligators, the American Alligator, or "gator," was chosen as Florida's mascot in 1911. The official costumed mascots of the Florida Gators are Albert and Alberta.

The Gators' most prominent current football rivals are SEC Eastern Division foes Georgia and Tennessee, and Florida State from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Florida also shares football rivalries with Auburn and Miami, but because those football series are no longer played yearly, they have lessened in intensity.

Jeremy Foley is Florida's athletic director, having served in his present position since 1992. Foley led the searches that resulted in the hiring of national-championship coaches Urban Meyer (football), Billy Donovan (men's basketball), Becky Burleigh (women's soccer), and Roland Thornqvist (women's tennis). Only men's golf coach Buddy Alexander and volleyball coach Mary Wise have been at Florida longer than Foley. He has also guided the expansion of the varsity sports program, with the addition of women's soccer in 1996, softball in 1997, and women's lacrosse in 2010. The UAA currently fields teams in 9 men's sports and 12 women's sports:

Men's Sports Gators baseball Gators men's basketball Gators men's cross country Gators football Gators men's golf Gators men's swimming & diving Gators men's tennis Gators men's track & field

Women's Sports Gators women's basketball Gators women's cross country Gators women's golf Gators gymnastics Gators lacrosse (begins play February 2010) Gators soccer Gators softball Gators women's swimming & diving Gators women's tennis Gators women's track & field Gators volleyball

The Gators men's and women's track & field teams are counted twice in the total number of sports teams, as Florida's track & field athletes compete in the separate indoor and outdoor track & field seasons sanctioned by the NCAA.

[edit] Football

The University of Florida fielded an official varsity football team for the first time in 1906, defeating the Gainesville Athletic Club 6-0 in its first game. Since then, the Gators have played in 36 bowl games, won 3 National Championships (1996, 2006, 2008) and 8 Southeastern Conference Championships, and produced 138 All-Americans, 38 National Football League (NFL) first-round draft choices and 3 Heisman Trophy winners.

The football team competes in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), which is frequently referred to by its former designation of "Division I-A."

Florida plays an eight-game conference schedule, headlined by annual SEC Eastern Division showdowns against the University of Tennessee Volunteers and the University of Georgia Bulldogs. The Florida-Tennessee game is typically the SEC conference opener for both teams, and is played on an alternating home-and-home basis. The Florida-Georgia game is held annually in Jacksonville, Florida and was formerly known as the "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party." The Louisiana State University Tigers are the Gators' designated "traditional rivals" from the SEC Western Division, who the Gators also play every season. In addition, the Gators have an annual out-of-conference rivalry game with the Florida State University Seminoles, which is usually played as the last game of the regular season.

The Gator football team has been one of the winningest programs in Division I-A/FBS since 1990, the year Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Steve Spurrier returned to his alma mater as head coach. The 1996 team, led by another Heisman winner, Danny Wuerffel, finished with a 12-1 record and won the national championship in the Sugar Bowl, avenging the team's earlier loss to rival Florida State in the last game of the regular season.

Following the 2001 season, Spurrier left the program to seek a job in the National Football League, and ultimately accepted the head coaching position for the Washington Redskins. Ron Zook, at one time the defensive coordinator under Spurrier, was hired as his replacement. Zook's squads were criticized for their inconsistency, and he was fired midway through the 2004 season, following an upset loss to underdog Mississippi State in Starkville, Mississippi.

Urban Meyer was announced as Florida's new head football coach in December 2004. Meyer's first season in 2005 brought an immediate improvement of Florida's win-loss record at 9-3. The team narrowly missed out on playing for the SEC title due to an upset loss to Steve Spurrier's new team, the South Carolina Gamecocks.

The 2006 team won the school's second National Championship on January 8, 2007, defeating the number one-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 41-14. Florida's 2008 team won the 2009 BCS National Championship Game on January 8, 2009, beating the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners 24-14, for the Gators' third National Championship.

Overall, the Gators have won the SEC Championship Game a record seven times in nine tries since the SEC instituted the championship game in 1992. The Gators won their first official conference title in 1991, the year before the first conference championship game was played.

The Gators football team plays its home games in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field, the team's home field since 1930.

[edit] Baseball

Coach Andy Lopez took over the Gators baseball program in 1994, one season removed from leading Pepperdine University to its only national championship in the College World Series. In 1996, he coached the Gators to a 50-win season and a College World Series bid. By 2000, the program had seemingly hit a plateau and Lopez was replaced. Pat McMahon became the Gators' head coach in 2001 after coaching at Mississippi State.

The Gators' 2005 baseball season was the most successful to date, with the team winning the SEC title, and earning a place in the College World Series for the fifth time in school history. The team advanced to the championship round against Texas, ultimately losing two games to none.

Following their 2005 College World Series run, the expectations for the Gators were high for 2006. They opened the season as the number-one-ranked team in the polls, but struggled through the regular season. The Gators finished the 2006 season with a 28-28 record (10-20 SEC), and failed to qualify for either the SEC Tournament or the NCAA Regionals.

After missing the NCAA Regionals again in 2007, coach McMahon was terminated on June 7, 2007.^[6] Former Clemson associate head coach Kevin O'Sullivan agreed to become the Gators' new head baseball coach on June 13, 2007.^[7]

Coach O'Sullivan's teams showed immediate improvement. In 2008, the Gators finished the regular season with a 30-24 record (17-13 SEC), and received an invitation to the NCAA Regional in Tallahassee. The 2009 squad finished the regular season with a 38-18 record (19-11 SEC), won the NCAA Regional in Gainesville, and advanced to the Super Regional before losing to Southern Mississippi. Following the 2009 season, a school-record ten Gators were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft.

The Gators baseball team plays its home games at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium at Perry Field.

[edit] Men's Basketball

Florida had limited success in men's basketball before the mid-1990s. Under the tenure of Coach Norm Sloan, Vernon Maxwell led the team to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen in 1987, and Sloan coached the team to the tournament again the following two years. After a drug scandal involving Maxwell, Sloan left and the program went on probation.

Coach Lon Kruger slowly brought increased success and reached the NIT final four in his second year. During the 1993-1994 season, the pieces fell into place for the Gators. Behind Andrew DeClercq and Dametri Hill, the Gators went to their first NCAA Final Four following a dramatic victory over UConn. Two years later, Kruger's final season resulted in a losing record, and he left to coach at Illinois.

Athletic Director Jeremy Foley, looking for a young coach with a proven track record, hired Billy Donovan, then the head coach at Marshall, as Kruger's replacement. Donovan's recruiting prowess was evident early, bringing future NBA star Jason Williams with him from Marshall and having early recruiting classes with future NBA players Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, and Matt Bonner, among others. The Gators received invitations to the NCAA Tournament every year from 1999 through 2007, an eight-year streak that is a school record.

The team had the distinction of never having won their conference tournament despite several regular-season titles under Donovan until the 2004-2005 season, when they beat rival Kentucky in the SEC title game.

The 2005-2006 team's 17-0 start was the best in school history, surprising many with a young but selfless squad led by four sophomores. The team started the season unranked, yet still managed to win its second consecutive SEC Tournament championship. On April 3, 2006, the Gators defeated the UCLA Bruins 73-57 in the NCAA Tournament championship game to win the school's first men's national basketball championship. All five starters announced they would return for another season to try to win consecutive championships. The University of Florida Athletic Association then purchased the floor used in Indianapolis for the Final Four, and installed it in the O'Connell Center.

Before the start of the 2006-2007 basketball season, the Gators were picked as the preseason #1 in both major media polls for the first time in school history. The Gators won their second consecutive NCAA National Men's Basketball Championship on April 2, 2007, defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 84-75. They became the first team since the 1991-1992 Duke Blue Devils to win back-to-back tournaments and the first in history to do so with the same starting line-up.

The Thursday after the 2007 National Championship game, Florida's four juniors announced they would enter the NBA draft. After spurning the open Kentucky coaching job, head coach Billy Donovan accepted the head coaching job with the NBA's Orlando Magic on June 1, 2007. A day later, Donovan informed the Magic he wanted to return to Florida instead. On June 6, 2007, the Orlando Magic released Donovan from the five-year contract he had previously signed. He signed a new contract with Florida on June 7, 2007 to become the highest-paid coach in college basketball.

During the 2007-2008 season, the team had almost an entirely new set of starters. Billy Donovan led the team to the NIT Semifinals, and the season was widely considered to be a rebuilding year for the Gators. The 2008-2009 team had a winning record, but failed to receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Gators men's basketball team plays its home games in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

[edit] Women's Basketball

Women's basketall was approved as a sport by Florida in March 1972 and began play in 1973 as a club team. In 1975, the Lady Gators debuted as a varsity program under head coach Dr. Paula Welch. The Gators made local headlines in 1976 by winning the "state championship," beating the other three women's teams in the state at that time.^[8]

While traditionally being overshadowed by conference (and national) basketball powers Tennessee and Georgia, the Lady Gators have made several NCAA Tournament appearances and sent players to the WNBA, including DeLisha Milton-Jones. The winningest coach in Florida's 36 seasons is Carol Ross, who guided the team for 12 seasons from 1991 to 2003, but left to accept the head coaching job at her alma mater, Ole Miss.

From 2002 through 2006, the women's basketball team was coached by Carolyn Peck, a former WNBA coach who won a national title with Purdue. Peck was fired midway through the 2006 season (though allowed to finish the season) after enduring the worst losing streak of any Gator sport.

Former Gator player and previous Charlotte coach Amanda Butler was named the new women's basketball coach on April 13, 2007. During the 2008-2009 season, the Lady Gators received an NCAA tournament bid, and won a first-round game before being defeated by eventual tournament champion Connecticut in the second round.

The Gators women's basketball team plays its home games in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

[edit] Cross Country

The Florida Gators men's cross country team has won 3 Southeastern Conference Championships (SEC), and has competed in 8 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournaments. The women's cross country team has also won 3 SEC Championships, and competed in 8 NCAA tournaments.

Coach Mike Holloway is the head coach of the men's & women's cross country teams.

[edit] Golf

The men's golf team has won 4 NCAA Championships (1968, 1973, 1993, 2001), and has produced two individual NCAA champions, Bob Murphy in 1966 and Nick Gilliam in 2001. The men's golf team has also won 14 SEC championships.

The women's golf team has won 2 NCAA team championships (1985, 1986), and 8 SEC championships.

Former Gator golfers have regularly represented the University of Florida on the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour, and the program has produced over 40 athletes who have competed in the professional ranks.

Buddy Alexander is the head coach for the men's golf team, and Jan Dowling is the head coach for the women's team. Alexander is the dean of Florida Gators coaches, having served in his current head coaching position since 1988--longer than any other Gator coach.

The Gators men's and women's golf teams play their home matches at the Mark Bostick Golf Course (formerly known as the "University Golf Course").

[edit] Gymnastics

Gymnastics was one of the first women's sports added at the University of Florida and achieved early success by winning the 1982 AIAW National Championship. Since the NCAA assumed sponsorship of the national gymnastics championships in 1982, Florida has earned invitations to the NCAA National Championships (top 12 teams nationally) fifteen times, and advanced to the NCAA "Super Six" ten times. Florida's highest finish in NCAA competition was a second-place national finish in 1998, and the team has only failed to qualify for the NCAA championships once in the past 28 seasons.

The Gators have have won a total of six SEC gymnastics championships since 1982. The team's biggest SEC rivals are Alabama and Georgia, both of which are also perennial national contenders.

Rhonda Faehn has coached the Gators gymnastics team since 2003. Under Faehn, the Gator gymnasts have been nationally competitive and remarkably consistent----finishing 7th, 5th, 7th, 4th, 3rd, 4th and 4th at the NCAA National Championships over the past seven seasons. Faehn's Gator gymnasts won their most recent SEC championship in 2007.

The Gators gymnastics team holds its home meets at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

[edit] Lacrosse

In June 2006, the University Athletic Association announced the the creation of the new Gators women's lacrosse program, citing the phenomenal growth of lacrosse at the high school level and the increased availability of Division I competition. Florida became the second Southeastern Conference school to offer lacrosse as a varsity sport, following Vanderbilt University,^[9] and will play its inaugural 2010 season in the American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) together with Vanderbilt.

Amanda O'Leary is the Gators' inaugural head coach, and will lead the new women's lacrosse team when it officially begins play in February 2010. Before she was named to jump-start Florida's new program, O'Leary was head coach at Yale University for 14 seasons, and was honored as a two-time All-American midfielder at Temple University, where she led her team to an NCAA Championship in 1988. Assistant coach Jennifer Ulehla was previously the head coach at Temple and James Madison University, and was named an All-American at the University of Maryland, where she played on Maryland's two NCAA runner-up teams in 1990 and 1991. Assistant coach Erica LaGrow was a midfielder for the University of North Carolina, and was a key player on the U.S. national team that defeated Australia in the gold medal game of the 2009 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) Women's World Cup.

The Gators' first recruiting class of 24 players features 7 US Lacrosse High School All-Americans^[10] and 6 Under Armour high school All-Americans.^[11] The team is tentatively scheduled to play Cornell, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Navy, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio State, Penn State, Vanderbilt and defending NCAA champion Northwestern, starting in February 2010.

The Gators women's lacrosse team will play its home games in the new Florida Lacrosse Facility.

[edit] Soccer

Becky Burleigh has been the head coach since the women's soccer team first began play in 1996. Under Burleigh's leadership, the team quickly became a national contender. In 1998, in the program's third year of existence, the Gators won the NCAA national championship by defeating the storied University of North Carolina Tar Heels. A player from that team, Heather Mitts has enjoyed a career on and off the field, including a spot on the U.S. women's national team. The women's soccer team has also won 9 SEC Championships and SEC tournament titles in its 14 seasons of play.^[12]

Other notable former Gator soccer players include Abby Wambach, who has become a recent star on the U.S. women's national team and scored the game-winning goal in the final game of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, Melanie Booth, who currently plays for the Canadian women's national soccer team, and Danielle Fotopoulos, who played professionally with the Carolina Courage.

The Gators women's soccer team plays its home games at James G. Pressly Stadium.

[edit] Softball

The University Athletic Association approved the women's varsity softball team in 1995. The Florida Gators softball team officially started competing in the Southeastern Conference in 1997 under Head Coach Larry Ray. Since the inception of the program, the Florida Gators have had many successes, including two SEC championships and an appearance in the Women's College World Series.^[13]

The Gators won the SEC regular season championships in 1998, 2008 and 2009, as well as the SEC tournament titles in 2008 and 2009. During the 2009 season, they also played for the NCAA softball championship on the biggest stage in all of college softball, the Women's College World Series, losing to the University of Washington Huskies in the final game. The current head coach is Tim Walton, who is in his fourth year with the team. He was previously the head coach at Wichita State University and he played baseball for the University of Oklahoma and a minor league team affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies. As of 2008, Coach Walton has achieved an impressive record of 163 victories and 52 losses during his 7-year tenure as a head coach.

The Gators softball team plays its home games at the Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium.

[edit] Swimming & Diving

The Florida Gators men's swimming & diving team have won two NCAA national championships (1983 and 1984), and has also won 33 SEC Championships. The women's swimming & diving team has won two NCAA national championships (1979 and 1982), and has also won 17 SEC Championships.^[14]

The Florida Gators' most famous female swimmer is four-time Olympic gold medalist Dara Torres, the first swimmer from the United States to compete in 5 Olympic Games. Some of the most famous male swimmers are Ryan Lochte, Matt Cetlinski, Michael Heath, David Larson, Anthony Nesty, Darian Townsend, and Martin Zubero.

Donnie Crane is the head coach of the men's and women's diving teams; Gregg Troy is the head coach of the men's and the women's swimming teams.

The Gators swimming and diving teams hold their home meets at the Natatorium and the Carse Swimming Complex.

[edit] Tennis

Florida has one of the strongest and most storied women's tennis programs in NCAA history, producing such former greats as Lisa Raymond and Jill Craybas. Only the Stanford University women's tennis teams has won more NCAA Championships than the Gators. The women's tennis team has won 4 NCAA championships (1992, 1996, 1998, 2003) and 6 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) national indoor championships (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1999), and 23 SEC Championships.^[15]

The men's tennis team was NCAA runner-up in 2000 and 2003, and has won 9 SEC Championships.^[16]

Andy Jackson is the head coach of the men's tennis team, and coach Roland Thornqvist leads the women's tennis team.

The Gators men's & women's tennis teams play their home matches at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex.

[edit] Track & Field

The Florida Gators men's track & field team has won 5 SEC Indoor Championships, and 3 SEC Outdoor Championships. In 2009, the men's track & field team was the runner-up in both the NCAA indoor and outdoor national meets.

The women's track & field team won the NCAA Indoor Championship in 1992. In addition, the women's team has won 5 SEC Indoor Championships, and 3 SEC Outdoor Championships.

The head coach for the track & field program is Mike Holloway, and he is responsible for both the men's & women's teams. The assistant coaches are Steve Lemke, Todd Morgan and Brian O'Neal.

The Gators men's and women's track & field teams hold their outdoor home meets at Percy Beard Track, which is part of James G. Pressly Stadium.

[edit] Volleyball

The Gators began competing in volleyball in 1984 under coach Marilyn McReavy, but did not become nationally competitive until coach Mary Wise assumed control of Florida's program in 1991. During her 18 seasons as Florida's head coach, Wise has compiled a 576-60 (0.960) record, and her Gators teams have won 18 consecutive SEC regular season titles and 12 SEC Tournament titles since 1991. The Gators have made 18 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, including 7 NCAA Final Four appearances (1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003), and advanced to the NCAA National Championship final in 2003, where they fell to undefeated Southern California.

Florida landed the nation's top 2008 recruiting class, as ranked by Prepvolleyball.com and Volleyball Magazine, and signed the nation's top recruit and Gatorade National Player of the Year, Kelly Murphy, as well as four other recruits ranked in the top 50.^[17] Murphy garnered First-Team All SEC and a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team with fellow Gators Colleen Ward and Kristy Jaeckel. Murphy would also gain the SEC Freshman of the Year, AVCA All-South Region Freshman of the Year, the AVCA National Freshman of the Year, and Volleyball Magazine's Freshman of the Year. She was also honored as an AVCA Third-Team All-American and a Volleyball Magazine Second-Team All-American.

The Gators volleyball team plays its home matches in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

[edit] Former Varsity Sports

In the past, the Florida Gators fielded varsity teams in men's boxing, men's wrestling, and men's volleyball. The boxing team was eliminated in 1943 due to World War II, and was never revived after the war.^[18]

The men's wrestling and men's volleyball teams were eliminated as a direct result of Title IX compliance issues.^[19] The University of Florida Athletic Association desired to take a proactive role in Title IX compliance, and this unfortunately resulted in the elimination of two men's varsity sports programs. However, the University of Florida currently has a men's wrestling club team that was founded in 2000,^[20] and a men's volleyball club team that was founded in 1989.^[21]

[edit] Olympic Games

The University of Florida has a reputation and long tradition of producing athletes who compete successfully in the Olympic Games. In total, 118 Gator athletes from 27 different countries have competed in the Games, taking home 43 gold medals, 21 silver medals and 24 bronze medals (through the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing).^[22]

The list of notable Gator Olympians and gold medalists includes sprinters Kerron Clement, Dennis Mitchell, and Bernard Williams; marathon runner Frank Shorter; baseball outfielder Brad Wilkerson; basketball forward DeLisha Milton-Jones; soccer forward Abby Wambach; and swimmers Tracy Caulkins and Nicole Haislett.

Former Gator Dara Torres became the first American swimmer to compete in five Olympic Games (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2008). At the age of 41, Torres competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in the 50 meter freestyle, 4×100 medley relay, and 4×100 freestyle relay, and won the silver medal in all three events. Torres has won a total of 12 Olympic medals (including 4 gold) over her career.

[edit] Cheerleading & Spirit programs

A short video showing alligators moving in on their prey, with the famous Jaws theme playing in the background, is displayed on the Daktronics ProStar Video Board, commonly known as a jumbotron, during every football game before the players come out of the tunnel. ESPN's College Gameday analyst Lee Corso, a former coach and graduate of rival Florida State Seminoles, called it one of the most thrilling moments in college football. Gator will perform the Gator Chomp at athletic events to symbolize the Gators' swallowing of their opponents.

"Orange and blue" is one cheer that is very popular at home games, with the student section yelling "Orange!", and the alumni section answering back with their loudest "Blue!" This can go back and forth for several minutes, with both sides competing to be the louder.

The The Pride of the Sunshine is the marching band that performs at halftime and after big plays during the football season.

The coordinated dance team that performs at many sports are known as the Dazzlers.

The football team had a long-time tradition of having George Edmondson Jr.—-better known as "Mr. Two Bits"-—wandering through the stands with a sign and a whistle to pump up the crowd to the cheer of:

Two bits, Four bits,

Six bits, A dollar.

All for the Gators,

Stand up and Holler!

Though he officially retired in 1998, Edmondson has been seen at many football games since, and was made an honorary alumnus in 2005. Edmondson's final appearance as Mr. Two Bits was at the last home game of the 2008 season against The Citadel.

Another tradition, at home and on the road, is the Gator fans' linking arms, swaying, and singing We are the Boys after the end of every third quarter. The song's lyrics are:

We are the boys from old Florida

F - L - O - R - I - D - A

Where the girls are the fairest,

the boys are the squarest

of any old state down our way.

We are all strong for old Florida,

down where the old Gators play.

In all kinds of weather,

we'll all stick together. for

F - L - O - R - I - D - A [1]

Traditionally, fans add "Hey!" at the end of the first stanza, and shout "Go Gators!" after the line "Down where the old Gators play," and at the conclusion of the song.

The University of Florida Fight Song (Orange and Blue) is also sung frequently at all Florida sporting events.

So give a cheer for the Orange and Blue

Waving for-ev-er

Forever Pride of old Flor-i-da

May she droop nev-er…

We'll sing a song for the flag to-day

Cheer for the team at play!

On to the goal we'll fight our way for Flor-i-da.

The University of Florida Alma Mater is played by The Pride of the Sunshine Marching Band before every home football game. Following every home game, the entire football team gathers on Florida Field and joins fans in singing the Alma Mater while the band plays. Florida alumnus and former head football coach Steve Spurrier re-introduced to this tradition to Florida football in 1990. The Alma Mater's lyrics are:

Florida, our Alma Mater, thy glorious name we praise

All thy loyal sons and daughters, a joyous song shall raise.

Where palm and pine are blowing, where southern seas as flowing,

Shine forth thy noble gothic walls, thy noble vine clad halls!

Neath the orange and blue victorious, our love shall never fail,

There's no other name so glorious, all hail, FLORIDA HAIL!

[edit] Marching Band & Gatorettes

The University of Florida Marching Band—-which is also known as "The Pride of the Sunshine"—-is one of the strongest college marching bands in the United States. The current band director is John M. Watkins. The Pride of the Sunshine plays at every home football game, and also performs at various events such as Gator Growl, parades, and the Orange and Blue Game (the annual spring football scrimmage). The Gatorettes are the twirling dancers, or majorettes, for the marching band. The Gatorettes perform choreographed dances, and are known for their baton twirling. The Gatorettes often perform acrobatics, cartwheels, and back flips, and sometimes twirl multiple batons at a time.^[23]

[edit] All-Sports Rankings

[edit] NACDA Directors' Cup

Final NACDA Directors' Cup National All-Sports Rankings^[24]

Academic Year	Florida Ranking
1983-1984	5th
1984-1985	4th
1985-1986	8th
1986-1987	4th
1987-1988	5th
1988-1989	9th
1989-1990	5th
1990-1991	5th
1991-1992	5th
1992-1993	4th
1993-1994	4th
1994-1995	5th
1995-1996	3rd
1996-1997	5th
1997-1998	2nd (tie)
1998-1999	4th
1999-2000	7th
2000-2001	7th
2001-2002	3rd
2002-2003	7th
2003-2004	6th
2004-2005	6th
2005-2006	5th
2006-2007	6th
2007-2008	6th
2008-2009	3rd

The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has recognized the University of Florida as being among the top 10 Division I athletic programs in the country every year since 1983–1984, and marked the Gators' 26th consecutive year among the nation's top-10 best overall collegiate athletic programs. No other Division I athletic program has matched that feat, and Florida has achieved this record while fielding fewer sports teams than many of the other perennial top collegiate athletic programs.^[25]

Following the 2008-2009 school year, Florida finished in 3rd place in the NACDA Directors' Cup standings.^[26] Remarkably, 17 of 20 eligible Florida Gators athletic teams finished their 2008-2009 seasons ranked among the top 20 Division I teams in their respective sports, including:^[27][28][29]

Gators Men's Sports Ranked in Top 20 Gators baseball (9th) Gators football (1st) Gators men's golf (19th) Gators men's swimming & diving (5th) Gators men's tennis (17th) Gators men's indoor track & field (2nd) Gators men's outdoor track & field (2nd)

Gators Women's Sports Ranked in Top 20 Gators women's basketball (17th) Gators women's cross country (17th) Gators gymnastics (4th) Gators soccer (9th) Gators softball (2nd) Gators women's swimming & diving (7th) Gators women's tennis (9th) Gators women's indoor track & field (12th) Gators women's outdoor track & field (9th) Gators volleyball (9th)

2008-2009 NACDA Directors' Cup Final Standings

1. Stanford University - 1,455.00 points
2. University of North Carolina - 1,184.25 points
3. University of Florida - 1,172.75 points
4. University of Southern California - 1,137.75 points
5. University of Michigan - 1,131.80 points
6. University of Texas - 1,105.50 points
7. University of California - 1,072.00 points
8. University of Virginia - 1,059.00 points
9. Louisiana State University - 1,029.00 points
10. Ohio State University - 1,015.80 points

[edit] SEC All-Sports Trophy

Through the end of the 2008-2009 school year, the Florida Gators have claimed 185 Southeastern Conference (SEC) team championships, the most in conference history.^[30][31]

The SEC All-Sports Trophy began in 1973 as the Bernie Moore trophy and tabulated the league's best men's sports program.^[32] In 1983, the SEC also began recognizing the best women's sports program in the conference, as well as the best overall SEC sports program.^[33] In 1994, the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group assumed responsibility for awarding the trophies. In the 37-year history of the awards, Florida has won 16 Women's Trophies, 13 Men's Trophies, and 19 Overall SEC All-Sports Trophies (including 19 of the last 22).^[34]

SEC rival Georgia won the overall 2005-2006 All-Sports Trophy to snap Florida's record streak at 14 straight (1990-1991 through 2004-2005). Florida reclaimed the SEC All-Sports Trophy for the 2008-2009 school year, and the Gators again swept the overall, men's and women's all-sports trophies. The Gators are the only SEC sports program to earn all three SEC all-sports trophies in a single year, and have swept all three trophies nine times.^[35]

[edit] National Championships

In their 103-year history of intercollegiate competition, the University of Florida's varsity athletic teams have won 26 national team championships (including 17 NCAA championships), and its individual athletes have won 191 individual NCAA national championships.^[36][37] Florida is the only Division I school to hold both major men's championships at the same time (as the 2006 BCS Football Champions and the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Men's Basketball Champions). The Gators men's basketball team's back-to-back NCAA national championships in 2006 and 2007 made the Gators the first "repeat champions" in men's basketball since the Duke University Blue Devils won back-to-back NCAA tournament championships in 1991 and 1992.^[38]

Men's National Championships

• Basketball (2): 2006 • 2007^[39]
• Football (3): 1996 • 2006 • 2008^[40]
• Golf (4): 1968 • 1973 • 1993 • 2001^[41]
• Swimming & Diving (2): 1983 • 1984^[42]

Women's National Championships

• Golf (2): 1985 • 1986^[43]
• Gymnastics (1): 1982^[44]
• Indoor Track & Field (1): 1992^[45]
• Soccer (1): 1998^[46]
• Swimming & Diving (2): 1979 • 1982^[47][48]
• Tennis (8): 1988 • 1991 • 1992 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2003^[49][50]

The national intercollegiate sports championships listed above were sponsored by the NCAA unless otherwise noted in the footnotes.

[edit] Southeastern Conference Championships

The University of Florida is a founding member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), one of the nation's premier intercollegiate sports conferences. Since the SEC's founding in 1933, Florida's varsity athletic teams have won 185 SEC team championships, more than any other conference member.^[51][52] Among the other 11 current members of the SEC, the University of Tennessee has won the next highest number of SEC team championships, with 149.^[53][54] Through the 2008-2009 school year, Florida's 185 SEC team championships include:

Men's SEC Championships

• Baseball (10): 1952 • 1956 • 1962 • 1981 • 1982 • 1984 • 1988 • 1996 • 1998 • 2005 • Tournament (5): 1981 • 1982 • 1984 • 1988 • 1991^[55][56]
• Basketball (4): 1989 • 2000 • 2001 • 2007 • Tournament (3): 2005 • 2006 • 2007^[57]
• Cross Country (3) 1955 • 1986 • 1987^[58]
• Football (8): 1991 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 2000 • 2006 • 2008^[59]
• Golf (14): 1955 • 1956 • 1968 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1985 • 1989 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1999 • 2003^[60]
• Swimming & Diving (33): 1937 • 1938 • 1939 • 1940 • 1941 • 1953 • 1954 • 1956 • 1957 • 1958 • 1959 • 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1970 • 1971 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993^[61]
• Tennis (9): 1950 • 1961 • 1968 • 1969 • 1975 • 1994 • 2000 • 2003 • 2005 • Tournament (3): 1994 • 2000 • 2005^[62]
• Indoor Track & Field (5): 1975 • 1976 • 1987 • 1988 • 2004^[63]
• Outdoor Track & Field (3): 1953 • 1956 • 1987^[64]

Women's SEC Championships

• Cross Country (3) 1984 • 1996 • 1997^[65]
• Golf (8): 1981 • 1982 • 1984 • 1986 • 1987 • 1991 • 1995 • 2008^[66]
• Gymnastics (6): 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1989 • 2007^[67]
• Soccer (9): 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2004 • 2007 • 2008 • Tournament (8): 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2004 • 2007^[68]
• Softball (3): 1998 • 2008 • 2009 • Tournament (2): 2008 • 2009^[69]
• Swimming & Diving (17): 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 2002 • 2009^[70]
• Tennis (23): 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2001 • 2003 • 2004 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • Tournament (6): 2000 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006^[71]
• Indoor Track & Field (5): 1990 • 1992 • 1997 • 2002 • 2004^[72]
• Outdoor Track & Field (4): 1992 • 1998 • 2003 • 2009^[73]
• Volleyball (18): 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • Tournament (12): 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2005^[74]

For purposes of counting "official" SEC team championships in baseball, men's and women's basketball, soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, and volleyball, the SEC currently only includes regular season team championships, not tournament championships. The Gators have won an additional 39 SEC tournament titles in these sports which are not included in Florida's total of 185 SEC team championships.

[edit] Athletic Facilities

The University of Florida has invested significant capital and effort in the construction, expansion and betterment of its major sports facilities, including the following outdoor stadiums, indoor arenas, and training and practice facilities:

Alfred A. McKethan Stadium at Perry Field

• Originally built in 1988, McKethan Stadium has played host to the Gators baseball team's home games as well as NCAA regional baseball tournaments for more than two decades. Renovated in 2007, the facility was expanded to seat up to 6,000 fans, and the locker rooms and offices were also upgraded.

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field

• The Gators football team plays its home games in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The stadium was originally constructed in 1930, and was known simply as "Florida Field." In 1989, it was renamed in honor of Ben Hill Griffin, Jr., an alumnus and generous donor to the university and its athletic programs. Since the arrival of coach Steve Spurrier in 1990, the stadium has become nationally known as the "Swamp." The Swamp has been renovated and expanded several times, and has included a natural grass surface since 1990. With the latest expansions, the stadium has an official capacity of 88,548 people, but routinely accommodates more than 90,000 fans for the Gators' home football games. The Swamp is the 12th largest college football stadium in America as measured by official seating capacity.

Carse Swimming Complex

• Built in 1998 at a cost of $2 million, Carse Swimming Complex is a 2-story, 7,000-square-foot facility that includes locker rooms, offices, and direct access to the UAA training pool. The swimming complex is located adjacent to the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

Florida Basketball Practice Complex

• Completed in 2001, the Basketball Practice Complex is a two-story, 47,505-square-foot structure that includes multiple practice gyms, a training room, and a 1,900-square-foot weight room.^[75]

Florida Lacrosse Facility

• To be completed in 2009, the Florida Lacrosse Facility will host the new women's lacrosse team. When finished, a 1,500-seat stadium will run the length of the game field, and the facility will also include a second practice field. The facility will include numerous amenities, locker rooms and a training room.

James G. Pressly Stadium & Percy Beard Track

• Pressly Stadium is a combined soccer and track & field facility that includes Percy Beard Track. The facility was renovated in 1995, when 2,500 bench seats were added to the existing 2,000-seat concrete grandstand, increasing the total seating capacity to more than 4,500 spectators.^[76] The stadium is located on campus, between McKethan Stadium and Linder Stadium, and was renamed in honor of James G. Pressly, Jr., a University of Florida alumnus and benefactor. The women's soccer team plays its home games in Pressly Stadium.

• Percy Beard Track was renovated in 1995 at a cost of $750,000, and the pole vault and long jump pits were moved from the infield to an area outside the track to accommodate the new soccer field. The men's and women's track & field teams host their home meets and the annual Florida Relays on Percy Beard Track during the outdoor track season.

Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium

• Constructed in 1996 at a cost of $2.6 million, Pressly Softball Stadium is the home field of the Gators women's softball team. The facility is located on campus, seats approximately 1,200 fans, includes a clay infield and a grass outfield, and complies with NCAA and Olympic specifications. The stadium is named for benefactor Katie Pressly. The Gators played their first game in the stadium against Stetson University on February 8, 1997.

Lemerand Center

• Built in 1995, Lemerand Center is a 43,000-square-foot all-sports facility that includes locker rooms, storage, and training equipment, and is used by all varsity athletes at the University of Florida.

Mark Bostick Golf Course & Guy Bostick Clubhouse

• Designed by golf course architect Donald Ross and originally developed in 1963, the 18-hole Mark Bostick Golf Course is the official golf course of the University of Florida. The men's and women's golf teams play their home matches on the course, and the course also hosts the Gator and Lady Gator Golf Day Pro-Am. The course is 6,701 yards in length, and is rated as a par 70. In 2001, Bobby Weed renovated the course with a $4 million donation from benefactor Mark Bostick.^[77]

• The Guy Bostick Clubhouse is equipped with numerous amenities and includes over 8,000 square feet of interior space.

Steinbrenner Band Hall

• Finished in 2008, Steinbrenner Band Hall is The Pride of the Sunshine's rehearsal hall, and also houses offices, instrument storage, the band library and an instrument issue room. Construction of the band hall was made possible by a generous gift from George Steinbrenner and his wife Joan in 2002.

Scott Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex]

• Originally constructed in 1987, Linder Stadium serves as the home court of the men's and women's tennis teams. The facility was renovated at a cost of $1.7 million in 1999, when the building interior space was expanded to 7,163 square feet, and includes coaches' offices, a training room, locker rooms, and a 3,000 square-foot exterior courtyard. The stadium includes a 1,000-seat grandstand overlooking the six lighted main courts, and also includes a second row of nine practice courts. The complex is located on campus, adjacent to the College of Law and James G. Pressly Stadium.^[78]

Stephen C. O'Connell Center

• Constructed from 1977 to 1980, the O'Connell Center is a multi-purpose arena that is home to the men's and women's basketball, women's gymnastics, and women's volleyball teams. It is commonly known as the "O'Dome." In its major interior space, the O'Connell Center can accommodate over 12,000 sports fans, and the university also uses the facility for graduation ceremonies and a variety of concerts, lectures and shows. The O'Dome also includes the Natatorium, where the Gators swimming and diving teams compete.

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

James G. Pressly Stadium

O'Connell Center

Mark Bostick Golf Course

Basketball Complex

Lemerand Center

Steinbrenner Band Hall

[edit] Notable people

• University of Florida Athletic Association

[edit] Florida Gators Benefactors

The Gators have had many financial supporters, but some stand out by the magnitude of their contributions.^[79]
Among those who have made large donations commemorated at the university are:

Mark Bostick Wayne Carse Jerry Chicone Donald & Irene Dizney

John Frost II Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. Ben Hill Griffin III Stumpy Harris

Bill Heavener Hjalma Johnson Gale Lemerand Paul & Sande McDonald

Alfred McKethan Steve Melnyk Jeffery Parks James Pressly

Katie Pressly Danny Ponce Alfred Ring George Steinbrenner

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Gatorzone.com - Official website of the Florida Gators.
• University Athletic Association - Official site of UF's athletics board.

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