Orange & Blue Weekend: Fan Days, Soccer Home Opener & Rally in The Swamp
Wednesday, August 16, 2017 | General, Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Ticket Office
Football Fan Day kicks off an Orange & Blue weekend of events for Florida fans.
Event Information
- Florida Football Fan Day
- Volleyball Exhibition vs. Coastal Carolina (Fan Day)
- Soccer vs. Troy (Home Opener)
- #RallyinTheSwamp
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – What a weekend, Gators fans.
Fans have the chance to meet and greet Florida's football and volleyball teams on Saturday, while Sunday brings the Gators' first home event of the 2017-18 season. UF's soccer team takes on Troy at 1 p.m. at James G. Pressly Stadium.
The weekend concludes on Sunday evening with the fourth annual Rally in The Swamp, a student pep rally to kick off the 2017 school year.
All students who attend these events this weekend need to check-in on the Gators Students Rewards App to earn points to be used towards great prizes.
Information for all these events are located below.
Football Fan Day
- Saturday, August 19 from 2 – 4 p.m.
The Florida football team is hosting its annual fan day in the Indoor Practice Facility on Saturday from 2-4 p.m.
Admission is free.
In addition to traditional autographs, there will be special Kid Zones, food and music. Fans will also get the opportunity to check out the Gators Indoor Practice Facility for the second-consecutive year.
Autographs
Head Coach Jim McElwain and players will be available to sign autographs on the official 2017 Florida football posters, which will be available at the event.
Kid Zones
- Kicking Station: meet the Gators kickers and test your kicking skills by attempting a field goal on the Gators practice field
- Football Toss: meet the UF quarterbacks and test your arm
- Photo Booth: try on a Gators uniform and take pictures with everyone's favorite mascots, Albert and Alberta
- Face Painting, Caricatures, Balloon Makers, Corn Hole, Pop-A-Shot and more!
Food
The Kona Ice truck will be on hand to help fans cool off and concessions will be available for purchase on site.
Music
Country 103.7 The Gator will be on site to provide music.
Fan Day Map
Below is a map of where the entrance and each station is located inside the Indoor Practice Facility.
Fan Day Locations for Coach McElwain & Student-Athletes
Click this link for a complete listing of where each student-athlete will be located inside the Indoor Practice Facility.
Home Opener vs. Northern Colorado
The University of Florida football team is set to meet Northern Colorado at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Sept. 9 in its 2017 home opener.
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. and SEC Network will televise the contest to a national audience. For the first time in school history, all fans are encouraged to sport white attire for UF's clash with the Bears.
Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of The Swamp
One year after the University of Florida's Board of Trustees voted to add Steve Spurrier's name to Florida Field, Spurrier will now be honored once again as it's the 25th anniversary of when the Head Ball Coach gave Ben Hill Griffin Stadium its nickname, The Swamp.
"The 'Swamp' is a place where only Gators get out alive," Spurrier told then-Gainesville Sun columnist Mike Bianchi in 1992. "We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous. We feel this is an appropriate nickname for our stadium."
Volleyball Exhibition vs. Coastal Carolina
- Saturday, August 19 from 3 – 5 p.m.
Fan Day & Exhibition Information
Florida volleyball fans, University of Florida students, and the Gainesville community can see the 2017 Gators in action for the first time on Saturday, as they host Volleyball Fan Day inside the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Admission is free and doors open at 2 p.m., and first serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. Autographs with head coach Mary Wise and UF student-athletes will follow the exhibition match.
An NCAA rule change also permits the Gators to play an actual opponent, rather than simply hosting their traditional intrasquad scrimmage. This year's Orange & Blue Debut will be a variable-set exhibition match against Coastal Carolina.
Kids Korner & Prematch Lineups
Kids in attendance can enjoy tailgate games and poster making. In addition, younglings 12 and under can take the court with the Gators for pregame introductions.
VERT Challenge & Schedule Information
This year's Florida squad faces seven teams who garnered a preseason ranking. Six of those matches will be right here in Gainesville, inside Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, including No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Nebraska in the season-opening VERT Challenge (Aug. 25-26).
Here is a look at some marquee matchups Florida fans can see in the O'Dome this season:
- No. 2 Texas – Friday, Aug. 25 (VERT Challenge)
- No. 4 Nebraska – Saturday, Aug. 26 (VERT Challenge)
- No. 19 Michigan State – Saturday, Sep. 9 (Active Ankle Challenge)
- No. 13 Florida State – Tuesday, Sep. 12
- Texas A&M – Wednesday, Oct. 4
- No. 23 Kentucky – Sunday, Oct. 15
- No. 16 Missouri – Sunday, Nov. 12
Point Florida T-Shirt Giveaway
The first 2,000 general fans & 1,000 students will receive a Point Florida T-Shirt.
Pregame Tailgate
Fans are encouraged to arrive early & enjoy the pregame tailgate outside Gate 1. Country 103.7 The Gator will be on site to provide music while fans enjoy food/drink samples, play interactive games and much more.
Student Block Party
UF Students who attend the match are encouraged to at Gate 3, as Magic 101.3 will DJ the event. Students can enjoy interactive games, free food/drinks and claim their spot in the student section.
Ticket Information
- Gator Ticket Office Online | Call: 352-375-4683 x6800 (Open M-F, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)
Season Ticket Prices:
- Reserved (Sections 23, 25, 27, 29) – $50 [all ages]
- General Admission (All other lower bowl areas) – $35 [ages 13 and up]
- Students – FREE [with valid Gator1 ID]
- Courtside Season Pass – $150 [all ages]
- Loge Seating (in front of the Sideline Club) – $75 [all ages]
Single-Match Ticket Prices:
- Reserved (Sections 23, 25, 27, 29) | $6 [all ages]
- General Admission (All other lower bowl areas) | $4 [ages 13 and up] / FREE [ages 12 and under]
Group Ticket Information – Aug. 25 vs. Texas:
- Groups of 15-49 | $3 tickets
- Promo Code: VERT
- Groups of 50+ | $2 tickets
- Promo Code: VERT50
Soccer vs. Troy
- Sunday, August 20 from 1 – 3 p.m.
The Gators play their home opener against Troy at 1 p.m. at James G. Pressley Stadium on Sunday. Admission is free for all regular-season Gator soccer home matches.
Prior to that matchup, Florida will open the regular season on the road when it travels to Boca Raton to take on Florida Atlantic on Aug. 18. That match is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. and 2017 will be the second consecutive season FAU women's soccer opens home action with a match played at the FAU Stadium (home of the football Owls).
Rally in The Swamp
- Sunday, August 20 from 7 – 9 p.m.
The UAA has teamed up with the University of Florida Alumni Association to bring fans the fourth annual Rally in The Swamp, a student pep rally presented by Alert Today Florida to kick off the 2017 school year.
Student gates on the east side of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will open at 6 p.m. Prior to the event, students can play games to win prizes and get free pizza courtesy of Domino's. Opportunities for campus involvement will also be showcased.
President Kent Fuchs, Athletic Director Scott Stricklin and Head Coach Jim McElwain will be on hand to welcome students back for the 2017-18 year. The event will also feature the Florida marching band, cheerleaders, Dazzlers, mascots and nearly 400 Florida student-athletes. Students will learn some of the great traditions that make Saturdays in the Swamp so special to the Gator Nation.
Football Student Ticket Sales
Student season tickets are currently on sale at FloridaGators.com/students. However, there are a limited number remaining so act fast and order now.
Students can call the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683 or visit the Ticket Office on the west side of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The cost of student season tickets remains the same at $140 per ticket, which includes tickets to seven home games in the fall, and must be paid for at the time of purchase. Students must be enrolled in six credit hours to be eligible to purchase.
Students can also secure their seats for UF's three away games (Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina). In addition, Florida-Georgia tickets will go on sale that same day.
2017 Football Gameday Initiatives
Road to Gameday: Florida Football
Thursday, April 30
Road to Gameday: Florida Football Spring Game (Season 2)
Wednesday, April 29
Jon Sumrall Postgame Press Conference 4-11-26
Saturday, April 11
Buster Faulkner Postgame Press Conference 4-11-26
Saturday, April 11
