Gator Football Kicks Off 100-Year Celebration
Saturday, April 22, 2006 | Football
The Gator Nation will follow up the first year of the Urban Meyer Era the best way it can: by celebrating 100 years of Florida football in 2006.
The celebration, sponsored by Gatorade, will get underway by honoring the 1996 National Championship team during the season opening weekend vs. Southern Miss on September 2nd. Members of the national championship team will form a tunnel as the 2006 Gator team takes the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Each ensuing home game will have a 100-year celebration theme, including a throwback uniform game vs. Alabama on September 30 and a Gator Fans' Team of the Century presented by Gatorade announced during the game vs. Western Carolina on November 18.
A black-tie gala celebration, titled “Gator Gala,” is planned the night before the Alabama game with an evening of dinner, dancing and live entertainment at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Athletic Scholarship Endowment Fund. The fund raising goal for the event is $5 million.
Among other special plans for the celebration, include commemorative tickets and game programs complete with a Gator great player card set, a commemorative photo history book and a DVD of Florida football that will be released in 2006. Gator fans will also be able to purchase officially licensed 100-year anniversary merchandise and commemorative bricks in the Gator Walk, to be constructed on the north walkway leading up to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Banners placed on light poles around the Florida campus have been installed to honor Florida All-American football players.
“The tradition and history of Florida football is special and we are looking forward to reliving memories with our passionate fans and supporters who have helped make this program one of the best in the country,” said UF Athletics Director Jeremy Foley.
"The University of Florida is the birthplace of Gatorade, and since 1965, we have been on the Gators' sidelines helping athletes perform at their best," said Tom Fox, Senior Vice President of Gatorade Sports Marketing. "We're proud to partner with the University of Florida to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Gators' football and support the Fans All-Century Team Voting. We look forward to seeing who the fans select."
Celebration Details
Throwback Game
Florida will wear throwback uniforms for the September 30th, 2006 game vs. Alabama.
Commemorative Book
The University Athletic Association and The Gainesville Sun have collaborated on a 204-page, coffee table-style, photo historical book, 100 Years of Gator Football. The book is available now on-line at http://www.100yearsgatorbook.com for $39.95, as well as directly via mail order through the Gainesville Sun, The Gator SportShop and other retail outlets still to be determined.
DVD
Gridiron Gators: 100 Years of Florida Football is a DVD that will provide the ultimate Gator fan an inside look at the history of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, great Florida players, the 1996 National Championship season, Gator traditions, and the future of Florida football. The commemorative DVD will feature interviews with Heisman Trophy winners Danny Wuerffel and Steve Spurrier, Emmitt Smith, Jack Youngblood, 1996 National Championship captain James Bates, Coach Ray Graves, and Mr. 2 Bits (George Edmondson) along with other memorable players, coaches and staff members. Fans can pre-order a copy of the DVD for $19.95 on GatorsDVD.com, the official DVD website of the Florida Gators.
Poster
A complimentary poster will be available throughout the 2006 season and will be available outside of the Gator Ticket Office, in the Gator SportShops and on-line.
Gator Fans' Team of the Century Presented by Gatorade
Gatorade is sponsoring the Gator Fans' Team of the Century. Fans will have a chance to vote on-line at www.gatorzone.com. for their all-time Gator favorites and have a chance to win lifetime Gator season football tickets. Details will be released later this spring.
Gator Walk Brick Project
The tradition at home games of having the Florida football team walk from their buses on University Avenue on the walk leading up to the north entrance of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is being followed up with the Gator Walk Brick Project. Fans have an opportunity to purchase personalized bricks to be placed on the walk. Two size bricks are available, 4” x 8” for $100 and 8” x 8” for $500. Proceeds from the project will benefit the Athletic Scholarship Endowment Fund. Construction of the brick walk is planned to be completed prior to the 2006 season.
Gator Gala
This celebration will be held on Friday, Sept. 29, 2006, the night before the Alabama game, featuring an elegant evening of dinner, dancing and live entertainment at a benefit gala in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. All proceeds from the vintage black tie gala will benefit the Athletic Scholarship Endowment Fund. Helmets and jerseys worn at the Sept. 30 game will be included in table sponsor packages. Honorary chairs for the gala are Ben Hill Griffin, III , Gale Lemerand and Emmitt Smith. As of April 14, 75 of the 100 available tables to the gala had been sold. For more information about the gala, contact Colleen Geary at (352) 375-4683, ext. 5021 or colleeng@gators.uaa.ufl.edu.
Game Programs
The 2006 Florida football game program, published by Destination Media, will feature a different era of Florida football each week complete with a throwback section. With the purchase of each game program throughout the season, UF fans will also be able to collect a complete card set of Florida's 57 All-Americans (eight in each game, nine in the final game of the season). This collectors' edition will not be for individual sell and is only available with purchase of the Gator football game program.
Sponsor Opportunities
There are numerous sponsorship opportunities at all levels of the celebration. For more information about sponsorship, contact Mike Hill at (352) 375-4683 ext. 6600 or MikeH@gators.uaa.ufl.edu.
