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University of Florida bathing in Gatorade limelightBy HELEN HUNTLEY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times Americans may be a bit hazy about their country's history, but PepsiCo Inc. wants to make sure they know the saga of their favorite sports drink. The company is running TV and print commercials this summer highlighting the invention of Gatorade. The University of Florida is getting a big dose of free publicity in the process. UF researchers developed the sports drink in 1965 to counteract dehydration on the football field. Back then players didn't even drink water during a game. When the Gatorade-fueled Gators became known as a second-half team, Stokely-VanCamp took notice and bought the rights to the drink. Though Gatorade now comes in about 50 flavors worldwide, the original version tasted pretty much like sweat. The television commercial features two of Gatorade's inventors, Dr. Robert Cade and Dr. Dana Shires, shots of Florida Field and a clip from the Gator victory in the 1967 Orange Bowl. "In conditions that would make a salamander sweat, the Gators thrived," sports broadcaster Keith Jackson says. Gatorade brings more than publicity to UF. The university's 20 percent share of the royalties has brought in $76.4-million. The rest goes to those who worked on Gatorade's development and their heirs. Gatorade's worldwide sales are more than $2-billion a year. Stokely-Van Camp is a subsidiary of Quaker Oats, which PepsiCo acquired last year. By the way, Gatorade says the tradition of dousing the winning head coach evolved much later. New York Giants coach Bill Parcells was the first head coach to be showered with Gatorade, during the 1985-86 season.
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