UF fans stuck in Gainesville for the BCS National Championship Game don't have to stay at home.
Students, faculty and other Gator football fans can congregate at the O'Connell Center, Orange & Brew or the Grand Ballroom in the Reitz Union to watch the Gators match up against the Oklahoma Sooners.
"I went to the O-Dome for the last football championship game and I can only describe it as pure chaos," said UF sociology junior Courtney Gallow. "It was unbelievable to be there with thousands of students screaming all at once. You feel a certain pride for going to this school and for being a Gator."
Game coverage starts at 8 p.m., and kickoff is expected at 8:17 p.m., according to a UF press release.
Inside the O'Connell Center, the football game will be shown on four large video boards.
Doors will open at 4 p.m. for the UF women's basketball game against Mississippi State at 5 p.m. Only individuals with Gator 1 Cards will be admitted into the O'Connell Center after 5:30 p.m.
The Reitz Grand Ballroom doors will open at 6 p.m. Orange & Brew will be open during its regular hours.
While Gator fans are making plans to attend one of the three venues to watch the game or have game day arrangements of their own, a fraction are making the five-hour, 325-mile drive to cheer in the stands at Dolphin Stadium.
"Gainesville would definitely be the best place for a post-game celebration, but you never know when the Gators will play in the championship again," said UF graduate student Josh Altshuler. "No matter how crazy the streets get, there is no replacing seeing your team win in person."
The same three campus venues were open for the championship game in 2007 when UF beat Ohio State.
While the O'Connell Center has a capacity of 12,000 under normal circumstances, about 10,000 fans are expected to attend tomorrow night based on past championships.
Because certain areas of the O'Connell Center will be blocked off, fewer seats will be available there.
However, the blocked sections will ensure all attendees have a good view of the screens, said UF spokesman Steve Orlando.
Orlando, who attended the BCS title game in 2007 in Arizona, overheard the excitement of people celebrating in the streets of Gainesville via telephone.
"After the game I actually called people I knew who were watching in the O-Dome," he said.
Seeing the team live is preferred, but being in the O'Connell center is a great option, Orlando said.
Tailgating will not be permitted on campus Thursday to avoid distracting students in class and so UF facilities can carry on their daily tasks, Orlando said.
