As the first home game of the Florida Gators football season approaches, the University Athletics Organization has enlisted a team to keep football fans safe during gameday weekends.
The Gainesville Police and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office will have extra personnel on campus to make sure that “everyone that is in and around the stadium and within the city of Gainesville has a safe and enjoyable time,” GPD spokesperson Art Forgey said.
Florida State Highway patrol will be on campus directing traffic at busy intersections, Forgey said. UF police officers will also be stationed across campus and around Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Fans travelling by car to the game can choose from available on-campus lots and downtown Gainesville parking.
All downtown parking is free on weekends and after 8 p.m. on weekdays, except for the municipal parking garage on Southwest Third Street, according to city spokesperson Rossana Passaniti.
RTS offers special routes on gamedays, known as the Gator Aider, between the stadium and specified park-and-ride locations. Fans can purchase Gator Aider tickets for a single game or the whole season on the GoRTS app or in person.
RTS will also run all of its normal routes throughout campus, pending possible road closures.
Fans planning to arrive early to Gainesville can pay to park in downtown lots online or through the Passport Parking app. Or, they can park in one of the three downtown parking lots that allow free parking 24/7.
On-campus parking is much more limited, with 20 lots dedicated to visitor parking on gamedays, including most lots labeled “any permit,” like the baseball and lacrosse stadium lots near Southwest Recreation Center.
There will also be visitor parking available near the Murphree Area Dorms. RV parking will be available near the O’Connell Center, Norman Hall, Flavet Field and near Southwest Recreation Center.
Additional information regarding parking can be found on UF’s parking map.
As for students, the following lots are designated for student parking: Fraternity Row, Graham/Trusler, Garage Nine, Garage Eight by Norman, Garage Five, Memorial Road lot, Garages One or Two or Garage 11.
Contact Alexa Ryan at aryan@alligator.org
