Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is known for having one of college football’s loudest student sections. It ranks among ESPN’s top 20 college football stadiums and is 247Sports’ seventh-best stadium atmosphere.
In-game traditions and songs elevate the game day experience and make it one of the most distinctive places to watch college football.
“Our fans were incredible, [they] played a major role in the game,” head coach Billy Napier said following Florida’s 24-17 win against Ole Miss. “Just incredible atmosphere today. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Beaming with school pride, Gators football unites students, alumni and Gainesville locals in orange and blue. The university’s chants set the tone and bring raucous energy to the stadium each year.
Among those excited for this season is UF’s first Mic Ma'am, Abigail Eckhardt.
Eckhardt, a 21-year-old applied physiology and kinesiology senior, will be responsible for getting The Swamp as loud as possible by engaging with fans and keeping them cheering. As a Gainesville native and lifelong Gators fan, she knows all the Florida chants and traditions by heart.
Gator Fight Song
So give a cheer for the Orange and Blue
Waving Forever!
Forever pride of Old Florida,
May she droop never.
We’ll sing a song for the flag today,
Cheer for the team at play!
On to the goal,
We’ll fight our way for
Flor-i-da!
Go Gators!
Played at the end of each football game, the fight song is one of Eckhardt’s favorite traditions. It hypes up fans and players alike, she said, especially after a victory.
“I always tell all of my friends and everyone I meet, ‘You have to stay ‘til the end of the game,’ because it's just nice to see that and round out your night with a big win,” Eckhardt said. “Seeing the excitement on everyone's faces is just so much fun.”
Orange and Blue
This chant began soon after the school colors were selected in 1911. The stadium is split in half by the “Mic Man” who leads the back-and-forth chorus. The student section chants “orange,” and the other half of the stadium chants “blue.”
“It's just incredible to hear 90,000 fans respond to you on the field,” Eckhardt said. “It's a feeling that I will never, ever forget or take for granted.”
We Are The Boys
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.
This chant has been a part of UF tradition since the early 1900s, making it one of UF’s most longstanding traditions. It begins between the third and fourth quarters.
“Everyone gets to join arm in arm,” Eckhardt said. “You put your arms around everyone, regardless of whether you're super close friends or not, and you all sway back and forth, and you get to sing that.”
Tom Petty’s “I Won't Back Down”
Since its start in 2017, this tradition quickly became a Gainesville favorite. Played between the third and fourth quarters, the entire stadium sings along. At night games, The Swamp twinkles with thousands of swaying flashlights.
The tradition started shortly after the death of Tom Petty in October 2017. Singing the song was a way to honor the Gainesville native while complementing the established chants’ themes of resilience and strength.
Aiyana Cremisio, a 20-year-old UF graphic design junior, said it was the tradition she’s most looking forward to this year.
“It’s chaotic but so organized, and it’s fun, and everyone is ready for it,” Cremisio said.
The chant even garnered attention beyond the Gainesville community.
In an ESPN article, sports reporter Alex Scarborough named it his favorite unique in-game tradition.
“It's hard to find anything that can match the feeling when Florida plays Tom Petty's hit ‘I Won't Back Down’ between the third and fourth quarter,” Scarborough wrote. “The sing-along that ensues is more rock concert than college football game. I was there the first time they did it, in 2017, shortly after the death of Petty, a Gainesville native, and I'll never forget the emotion and energy inside The Swamp that day.”
UF’s Alma Mater
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 are flowing,
Shine forth thy noble gothic walls,
thy lovely vine clad halls.
‘Neath the orange and blue victorious, (throw right arm in the air)
our love shall never fail.
There’s no other name so glorious, (throw right arm in the air)
all hail, Florida, hail!
Win or lose, UF’s alma mater is sung at the end of every game.
Lindsay Podos, a 19-year-old UF environmental engineering sophomore, said Florida’s traditions create a sense of school pride.
“It just makes you so happy to be a Gator,” Podos said.
With Florida football trending upward, the excitement surrounding the season will only grow stronger. Gator tradition will be at the center of it all.
“I can just feel the energy buzzing already in Gainesville,” said Mic Ma’am Abigail Eckhardt. “I can't wait to see it on game day.”
Contact Ava DiCecca at adicecca@alligator.org. Follow her on X @avadicecca24.
