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UF: For the fans

By ANTONYA ENGLISH

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 30, 2001

STADIUM: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field.

CAPACITY: 83,000.

TICKETS: All home games are sold out. A limited number of tickets are available for the Sept. 22 game at Kentucky ($22 each). There is a possibility tickets could become available if opposing schools return some of their allotment.

PARKING: About 150 parking spaces reserved for Gator Boosters around the stadium have been lost due to construction, but all have been relocated. General parking is available for various prices at lots on private property within half a mile of the stadium.

RADIO: WDAE-AM 620 Tampa-St. Petersburg; WWJB-AM 1450 Brooksville; WXCV-FM 95.3 Crystal River; WDCF-AM 1350 Dade City; WZHR-AM 1400 Zephyrhills.

WHAT'S NEW

WE'RE NO. 1: It has been four years since Gators fans were able to chant that overused slogan in August. The AP and ESPN/USA Today pick the Gators to win the national championship. But that could be the kiss of death. In 1994 and 1997, Florida started the season ranked No. 1 and was knocked off in the sixth game of the season. In the 51 years of the AP poll, only one team has gone wire to wire atop the rankings -- Florida State in 1999.

CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Remember North South Drive and those pretty trees that lined it? Gone. A $50-million expansion is under way, a project that will take three years to complete. Throughout the season, utility work will be ongoing, along with laying the foundation. In the meantime, parking around the stadium will be much more difficult, especially on game days. And you might have to dodge chicken-wire fences. But when the project is done, Florida Field will seat more than 90,000 fans.

TRADITION LOST, PASSED ON: For years, it was tradition after practices that Dick Jones, a former UF coach, would stand at the practice gates and bid farewell to every player as he left. Jones was known as the keeper of the gate: keeping fans, "spys," even the media out whenever necessary. "He used to always come to practices and when Charley Pell (former Florida coach) arrived, he closed practices," said Norm Carlson, assistant athletic director for communications. "Coach Jones wanted to stay so Charley said, "Why don't you stand at the gate for us?' " That was in the mid 1980s and he sort of did it unofficially. Then when Steve (Spurrier) arrived, he made it official." Jones died this summer and the tradition has been passed to another Gator legend, Bud Fernandez, affectionately known as "Uncle Bud." Fernandez was close friends with Pell, who also died this summer..

CHANGING FACES: Jerry Odom grew up a Florida fan, was a team captain in the 1990s and always dreamed of being an assistant. After a year as a graduate assistant, he got his wish. Odom was named linebackers coach this year. How dedicated was he to the dream of coaching? He made less than $200 every two weeks as a grad assistant. "This is Jerry's dream come true," said Gerald Odom, the proud dad and an ex-Gator player. Spurrier is hoping Odom and new defensive tackles coach Ricky Hunley provide more emotion to a defense that ranked among the worst in the SEC statistically last season. Hunley came from Missouri, where he was associate coach. In addition to being a former first-round NFL draft pick and a player in two Super Bowls, he is considered one of the top African-American candidates for a college head coaching position.

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