Former UF quarterback and football Coach Steve Spurrier will return to UF on Feb. 13 as the first guest of the semester for Accent Speakers Bureau.
Spurrier, who will take part in a Q&A at the University Auditorium, will not be paid for the talk, Accent Chairman Mike Greenberg said.
Accent announced the event Thursday.
Greenberg said Accent chose Spurrier to headline its Spring slate of speakers for his legacy in Gainesville and contributions to Gator Football, including a National Championship win in 1996.
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium’s field was named after Spurrier in September of last year.
“We jumped at the opportunity to get someone so loved and revered in the Gainesville community and the whole Gator Nation,” Greenberg said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to bring him back.”
Greenberg said he became interested in bringing Spurrier when he was named an ambassador and consultant for the athletic department. The UAA helped Accent arrange the event.
Spurrier’s discussion, moderated by Department of UF Journalism chair Ted Spiker, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.
Students can pick up two tickets with their Gator 1 Cards at noon the day of the event, and tickets to the general public open at 6 p.m.
“Wherever it is he goes, there’s a lot to be learned,” Greenberg said.
Amanda Corral, a 19-year-old UF sports management sophomore, said she is excited to attend an event that matches with her major.
“He’s definitely known in the sports business, so hearing him will be a great opportunity,” Corral said.
Corral has only seen Spurrier from the stands of the stadium with 90,000 others. The talk will be a way for her to hear from him up close, she said.
“I feel like in the auditorium it’ll be a lot smaller and you’ll get more out of it,” she said.
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Former Gators coach Steve Spurrier reacts to the action on the field during Florida’s 34-32 loss to Tennessee on Dec. 1, 2001, in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Spurrier went 8-4 against the Volunteers during his 12 years as Florida’s coach.
