Florida Gators football

Florida Gators football
2016 Florida Gators football team
First season	1906
Athletic director	Scott Stricklin
Head coach	Jim McElwain 2nd year, 18–8 (.692)
Stadium	Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Seating capacity	88,548
Field surface	Grass
Location	Gainesville, Florida
NCAA division	Division I FBS
Conference	Southeastern Conference (SEC)
Division	Eastern
Past conferences	Independent (1906–1911) Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1912–1921) Southern Conference (1922–1932)
All-time record	709–404–40 (.632)
Bowl record	21–21 (.500)
Claimed nat'l titles	3 (1996, 2006, 2008)
National finalist	1 (1995)
Conference titles	8 (1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2006, 2008)
Division titles	14 (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2003*, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012*, 2015, 2016)
Heisman winners	3 (Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, Tim Tebow)
Consensus All-Americans	32[note 1]
Current uniform
Colors	Blue and Orange[2]
Fight song	"The Orange and Blue"
Mascot	Albert and Alberta
Marching band	Pride of the Sunshine
Primary rivals	Florida State Seminoles Georgia Bulldogs Tennessee Volunteers LSU Tigers
Website	FloridaGators.com

The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They play their home games in Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (nicknamed "The Swamp") on the university's Gainesville campus. The Gators have won three national championships and eight SEC titles in the 108-season history of Florida's varsity football program.

Historical overview

The University of Florida (then known as the University of the State of Florida) fielded its first official varsity football team in the fall of 1906, when the newly consolidated institution moved from its temporary location in Lake City to its present campus in Gainesville. The Gators football program has evolved from its humble beginnings and achieved notable successes. They have played in forty bowl games; won three national championships (1996, 2006 and 2008) and eight Southeastern Conference championships (1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2006 and 2008), and produced eighty-nine first-team All-Americans, forty-six National Football League (NFL) first-round draft choices, and three Heisman Trophy winners.

The Gators have had an on-campus home field since the beginning of their football program. Since 1930, their home field has been Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The stadium was known as Florida Field until 1989, when its name was extended to honor alumnus and sports benefactor Ben Hill Griffin. During the 1990s, football coach Steve Spurrier called the stadium "the Swamp"; the nickname quickly became popular, and has been used ever since.

Since 1906 the Gators have had twenty-five head coaches, including three who were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame for their coaching success. Their first head coach was Pee Wee Forsythe in 1906; the 2015 season was the first for their twenty-fifth head coach, Jim McElwain.

During the program's early years, Florida was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association and then the Southern Conference. In 1932 the University of Florida was a founding member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and it is currently one of fourteen member institutions. The Gators have competed in the SEC Eastern Division since the league began divisional play in 1992.

Florida plays an eight-game SEC schedule, with six games against the other Eastern Division teams: Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt. The schedule is filled out with an annual game against Louisiana State and a rotating SEC Western Division team. Until 2003, the Gators also played Auburn every season.

Key conference rivalries include the annual Florida–Georgia game in Jacksonville, Florida (usually around Halloween), the Florida–Tennessee rivalry (usually mid-September), and the inter-divisional Florida–LSU rivalry with their permanent SEC Western Division foe (in early to mid-October).

The Gators have also played in-state rival Florida State every year since 1958, usually facing off in the last game of the regular season. The two teams' emergence as perennial football powers during the 1980s and 1990s helped build the Florida–Florida State rivalry into a game which often has national-title implications. Before 1988, in-state rival Miami was also an annual opponent; due to expanded conference schedules, the Florida–Miami rivalry has been renewed only three times in the regular season and twice in bowl games since then. The remaining dates on Florida's regular schedule are filled by non-conference opponents which vary from year to year.

Rivalries

Georgia

Previously known as "the world's largest outdoor cocktail party," it is most commonly called the "Florida–Georgia game" by Gator fans.^[3] The game is held at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, usually on the last Saturday in October or the first Saturday in November.^[4] The designated "home" team alternates, with ticket distribution split evenly between the schools.^[5]

In the rivalry's early years, games rotated among locations in Savannah, Georgia, Tampa, Florida, Jacksonville and, occasionally, Gainesville and Athens.^[6] Since 1933 the game has been played in Jacksonville, except for 1994 and 1995 (when the teams played a pair of home-and-home games at their respective stadiums).^[6]

Georgia had early success in the rivalry, winning the first six games and holding a 21–5–1 series lead before 1950.^[6] After the 2014 game Florida had won 20 out of the most-recent 26 games, and holds a 37–28–1 advantage in the series since 1950.^[6] The Bulldogs lead the series overall, 49–42–2.^[6]

Since 2009, the Okefenokee Oar has been awarded to the winner of the Florida-Georgia game.^[7] Florida last received the oar for its 2015 victory.^[8]

Tennessee

Although Florida and Tennessee are charter members of the SEC, irregular conference scheduling resulted in the teams meeting infrequently for many years. Tennessee won the first ten games between 1916 and 1954, when Florida finally defeated the Volunteers.^[9] In 1969, Florida hired Tennessee head coach (and former Florida quarterback) Doug Dickey to replace the retiring Ray Graves immediately after their teams met in the Gator Bowl.^[10]

The rivalry reached a peak during the 1990s. In 1992, the SEC expanded to twelve schools and split into two divisions.^[11][12] Florida and Tennessee (in the Eastern Division) have met every year since, usually in mid-September for both teams' first conference game of the season.^[9] Led by coaches Steve Spurrier and Phil Fulmer and featuring players such as Danny Wuerffel and Peyton Manning, both teams were highly ranked and the game had conference- and national-title implications. Florida and Tennessee combined to win two national championships during the decade.^[13]

Since becoming annual opponents, the Gators and Volunteers have combined to represent the Eastern Division in the SEC Championship Game fifteen times in twenty seasons. Florida had an eleven-game winning streak against Tennessee (from 2005 to 2015) and leads the series, 26–20.^[9]

Florida State

The University of Florida and the Florida State College for Women became co-educational in 1947.^[14] The new Florida State Seminoles football team began playing small colleges, moving up to the major-college ranks in 1955.^[15] Almost immediately, Florida State students and supporters called for the teams of Florida's two largest universities to play each other annually.^[16]

Contrary to popular belief, Florida's state legislature did not decree that Florida and Florida State should meet on the field; a bill mandating the game was rejected by the Florida Senate.^[17] Prodding by Florida governor LeRoy Collins facilitated an agreement between the two universities to begin an annual series in 1958.^[18] Due to Florida State's smaller stadium, the first six games were played at Florida Field. The series has alternated between the campuses since 1964, when Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee was expanded.^[19] Florida dominated the early series with a 16–2–1 record through 1976. Both teams have produced significant winning streaks, and the series is nearly tied over the past four decades; Florida State holds a 21–18–1 advantage. Florida leads the all-time series, 34–24–2.^[20]

The Florida–Florida State game has had national-championship implications since 1990, and both teams have entered the game with top-10 rankings thirteen times.^[21] Among these was the Sugar Bowl rematch at the end of the 1996 season, when Florida avenged its only regular-season loss and won its first national championship 52–20.^[22]

Louisiana State

Louisiana State and Florida first met on the football field in 1937, and have been annual opponents since 1971.^[23] Since 1992, LSU has been Florida's permanent inter-divisional rival from the SEC Western Division. The winner of the Florida–LSU game went on to win the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) national championship game in the 2006, 2007, and 2008 seasons. This rivalry has been known recently for close games, with both teams highly ranked. Florida leads the all-time series, 31–28–3.^[23]

Alabama

Although Alabama and Florida are charter members of the SEC, they have never been annual opponents.^[24] They have met many times over the years, especially since the SEC Championship Game began in 1992. The Gators and the Crimson Tide have met seven times for the SEC championship.^[24] On four occasions, the winner of a Florida-Alabama SEC title game has gone on to win a national championship. In 2008 and 2009, the teams were ranked first and second coming into the game. The second-ranked team won both times (Florida in 2008 and Alabama in 2009), with both conference champions going on to win the BCS National Championship Game. The Gators are tied with Alabama 4–4 in SEC championship games, and Alabama leads the overall series 25–14.^[24]

Auburn

Auburn and Florida played annually from 1945 to 2002.^[25] In the overall series won-lost record, Auburn is Florida's most evenly-matched SEC opponent. Beginning in the 1980s, one team was usually highly ranked coming into the game and it had conference- and national-title implications.^[26][27]

The series has had several notable upsets. Auburn defeated previously-unbeaten Florida teams in 1993, 1994, 2001, 2006 and 2007, although the Gators won SEC championships in 1993 and 1994.^[28]

The annual series ended in 2002, when the SEC adjusted its football schedules so each team played one permanent and two rotating opponents from the opposite SEC division every year (instead of one rotating and two permanent teams).^[29] When Texas A&M and Missouri joined the conference in 2012, the schedule was changed again; each team played one permanent and one rotating opponent from the opposite division every year. LSU was designated as Florida's annual SEC Western Division opponent, and Florida and Auburn play two regular-season games every twelve years. Auburn leads the series, 43–38–2.^[25]

Miami

Florida and Miami formerly played each other for the Seminole War Canoe Trophy, but they canceled after the 1987 season^[30] when Florida's annual SEC schedule expanded to eight games. The teams did not play each other again until the 2001 Sugar Bowl.^[30] Florida and Miami played a home-and-home series in 2002 and 2003, and met again in the 2004 Peach Bowl.^[30] The Gators won the first leg of a home-and-home series in 2008, ending a six-game losing streak against the Hurricanes.^[30] Their 2008 victory against Miami was Florida's only victory against them in the last 30 years. The last scheduled regular-season meeting of the Gators and the Hurricanes was in Miami in 2013, where the Hurricanes won 21–16. They have scheduled the next game to be somewhere in the year of 2019.^[31] Miami has a 29–26 lead in the all-time series.^[30]

Uniforms

Jerseys

Florida has worn blue jerseys (usually a variation of royal blue) with white pants at home for most of the program's history. The exception was a decade-long period, beginning with the last home game of the 1979 season, when the Gators switched to orange home jerseys.^[32] In 1989, interim head coach Gary Darnell brought back blue jerseys (with orange pants) for the season finale against Florida State. This color combination was not used again until the 1999 season, when the Gators hosted Florida State in the regular-season finale, in the 2013 Sugar Bowl against Louisville and in 2016 vs North Texas.^[33]

Steve Spurrier restored blue jerseys full-time when he was named coach in 1990.^[34] Since then the Gators have worn blue jerseys with white pants at home, with blue pants an option for high-profile games. Florida wore white jerseys with blue pants at home once in the 1998 season and twice in 2000. On the road, the team wears traditional white jerseys with blue, white, or orange pants.^[35] In 2005, Florida wore blue Nike Revolution football jerseys with an orange left shoulder during a game against Georgia.^[36]

Since 2011, the Gators have primarily worn white jerseys and white pants on the road. They have worn orange pants for one road game per year, and blue pants once in 2013. They wore orange jerseys with white pants for one home game per year from 2010 to 2012,^[37] for the 2015 Birmingham Bowl against East Carolina and in 2015 against Vanderbilt, and in 2015 wore orange jerseys and orange pants for home games against East Carolina and Mississippi.^[38]

Helmets

Florida has had a number of helmet designs during the program's history. Colors have alternated between orange and white and (occasionally) blue, and logos have included an interlocking "UF", a simple "F", and the player number.^[39]

Since 1979 Florida has worn orange helmets with a script "Gators" logo; the only exceptions were three "throwback" games. In 2006, for the 100th-anniversary game against Alabama, Florida wore 1960s throwback uniforms which included white helmets with a simple "F" logo.^[40] In 2009 the Gators participated in Nike's Pro Combat uniform campaign, wearing specially-designed blue uniforms and white helmets with a slant-F logo.^[41] These uniforms were worn for the last regular-season game against Florida State, and the white helmets were worn again the following week against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game with white jerseys and pants.^[42] In 2015, the Gators debuted their new white helmets with the slanted-"F" logo on one side and the "Gators" script logo on the other side. The Gators used these helmets in 2015 home games against Vanderbilt and Florida State, and in 2016 road contest against Tennessee and a home contest with South Carolina.

Team logos

• 

  Gator helmet logo during the mid-1960s

• 

  Helmet logo since 1979

• 

  Alternate Florida Athletics logo since the late 2000s

Conference affiliations

• 1906–1911: Independent
• 1912–1921: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA)^[43]
• 1922–1932: Southern Conference (SoCon)^[44]
• 1933–present: Southeastern Conference (SEC)^[45]

Conference championships

Florida has won a total of eight SEC championships. The Gators won their first championship with a conference record of 5–0–1 in 1984, but the title was vacated several months after the season ended by the SEC university presidents because of NCAA infractions by the Florida coaching staff under Charley Pell. The 1985 and 1990 teams also finished atop the standings with conference records of 5–1 and 6–1, respectively, but Florida was ineligible for the championship due to its NCAA probation for rule violations by previous coaching staffs. The Gators won their first official SEC football championship in 1991.^[28]

Season	Conference	Coach	Overall	Conference
1991	SEC	Steve Spurrier	10–2	7–0[46]
1993	SEC	Steve Spurrier	11–2	7–1[47]
1994	SEC	Steve Spurrier	10–2–1	7–1[48]
1995	SEC	Steve Spurrier	12–1	8–0[49]
1996	SEC	Steve Spurrier	12–1	8–0[50]
2000	SEC	Steve Spurrier	10–3	7–1[51]
2006	SEC	Urban Meyer	13–1	7–1[52]
2008	SEC	Urban Meyer	13–1	7–1[53]
Conference championships			8

Conference division championships

With the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina to the Southeastern Conference in 1992, the conference split into eastern and western divisions and a game between the division winners determined the SEC champion. Florida has made eleven appearances in the SEC Championship Game (the most by any SEC school), its most recent in 2015. The Gators have won seven of the eleven SEC Championship Games in which they have appeared.

Season	Division	CG Result	Opponent	PF	PA
1992†	SEC Eastern	Loss	Alabama	21	28[54]
1993	SEC Eastern	Win	Alabama	28	13[47]
1994	SEC Eastern	Win	Alabama	24	23[48]
1995	SEC Eastern	Win	Arkansas	34	3[49]
1996	SEC Eastern	Win	Alabama	45	30[50]
1999	SEC Eastern	Loss	Alabama	7	34[55]
2000	SEC Eastern	Win	Auburn	28	6[51]
2003†	SEC Eastern	–	–	–	–[56]
2006	SEC Eastern	Win	Arkansas	38	28[52]
2008	SEC Eastern	Win	Alabama	31	20[53]
2009	SEC Eastern	Loss	Alabama	13	32[57]
2012†	SEC Eastern	–	–	–	–[58]
2015	SEC Eastern	Loss	Alabama	15	29[59]
2016	SEC Eastern	Loss	Alabama	16	54[60]
Totals	14	7–5	–	290	300

† In 1992, the Gators finished the season tied with Georgia for the SEC East; however, Florida had defeated Georgia and won the tie-breaker to represent the division in the 1992 SEC Championship Game. In 2003 Florida ended the regular season in a three-way tie for the SEC East title with Georgia and Tennessee, and in 2012 the Gators were tied with Georgia. According to the SEC's tie-breaking procedure, Georgia was selected to represent the division in the 2003 SEC Championship Game and 2012 SEC Championship Game.

Yearly records

Florida's season records are from the record books of the university's athletic association. Through 2013, the Gators compiled an overall record of 684 wins, 395 losses, and 40 ties (including post-season bowl games).^[28]

All-time record against SEC teams

Opponent	Won	Lost	Tied	Percentage	Streak	First	Last
Alabama	14	25	0	.359	Lost 5	1916	2015[24]
Arkansas	9	2	0	.900	Lost 1	1982	2016[61]
Auburn	38	43	2	.470	Lost 3	1912	2011[25]
Georgia	43	49	2	.468	Won 3	1915	2016[6]
Kentucky	50	17	0	.746	Won 30	1917	2016[62][63]
LSU	32	28	3	.524	Won 1	1937	2016[23]
Mississippi State	33	19	2	.630	Lost 1	1923	2010[64]
Missouri	3	3	0	.400	Won 2	1966	2016[65]
Ole Miss	11	12	1	.479	Won 1	1926	2015[66]
South Carolina	25	8	3	.736	Won 1	1911	2015[67]
Tennessee	26	20	0	.565	Lost 1	1916	2016[9]
Texas A&M	2	1	0	.667	Won 2	1962	2012[68]
Vanderbilt	38	10	2	.780	Won 3	1945	2016[69]
Totals	322	235	15	.576

Against in-state rivals

Opponent	Won	Lost	Tied	Percentage	Streak	First	Last
Florida State	34	25	2	.583	Lost 4	1958	2016[70]
Miami	26	29	0	.473	Lost 1	1938	2013[30]
Totals	60	53	2	.530

Bowl games

The Gators have appeared in 42 NCAA-sanctioned bowl games, winning 21 and losing 21. This includes a streak of 22 consecutive bowl-game appearances from 1991 through 2012, the fifth-longest in college football history.^[71]

Season	Bowl	Opponent	Result
1912	Bacardi Bowl†	Vedado Athletic Club	W, 28–0[72]
1952	Gator Bowl	Tulsa	W, 14–13[73]
1958	Gator Bowl	Mississippi	L, 3–7[74]
1960	Gator Bowl	Baylor	W, 13–12[75]
1962	Gator Bowl	Penn State	W, 17–7[76]
1965	Sugar Bowl	Missouri	L, 18–20[77]
1966	Orange Bowl	Georgia Tech	W, 27–12[78]
1969	Gator Bowl	Tennessee	W, 14–13[79]
1973	Tangerine Bowl	Miami (OH)	L, 7–16[80]
1974	Sugar Bowl	Nebraska	L, 10–13[81]
1975	Gator Bowl	Maryland	L, 0–13[82]
1976	Sun Bowl	Texas A&M	L, 14–37[83]
1980	Tangerine Bowl	Maryland	W, 35–20[84]
1981	Peach Bowl	West Virginia	L, 6–26[85]
1982	Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl	Arkansas	L, 24–28[86]
1983	Gator Bowl	Iowa	W, 14–6[87]
1987	Aloha Bowl	UCLA	L, 16–20[88]
1988	All-American Bowl	Illinois	W, 14–10[89]
1989	Freedom Bowl	Washington	L, 7–34[90]
1991	Sugar Bowl	Notre Dame	L, 28–39[46]
1992	Gator Bowl (Bowl Coalition)	NC State	W, 27–10[54]
1993	Sugar Bowl (Bowl Coalition)	West Virginia	W, 41–7[47]
1994	Sugar Bowl (Bowl Coalition)	Florida State	L, 17–23[48]
1995	Fiesta Bowl (Bowl Alliance National Championship)	Nebraska	L, 24–62[49]
1996	Sugar Bowl (Bowl Alliance National Championship)	Florida State	W, 52–20[50]
1997	Florida Citrus Bowl	Penn State	W, 21–6[91]
1998	Orange Bowl (BCS)	Syracuse	W, 31–10[92]
1999	Florida Citrus Bowl	Michigan State	L, 34–37[55]
2000	Sugar Bowl (BCS)	Miami (FL)	L, 20–37[51]
2001	Orange Bowl (BCS)	Maryland	W, 56–23[93]
2002	Outback Bowl	Michigan	L, 30–38[94]
2003	Outback Bowl	Iowa	L, 17–37[56]
2004	Peach Bowl	Miami (FL)	L, 10–27[95]
2005	Outback Bowl	Iowa	W, 31–24[96]
2006	BCS National Championship Game	Ohio State	W, 41–14[52]
2007	Capital One Bowl	Michigan	L, 35–41[97]
2008	BCS National Championship Game	Oklahoma	W, 24–14[53]
2009	Sugar Bowl (BCS)	Cincinnati	W, 51–24[57]
2010	Outback Bowl	Penn State	W, 37–24[98]
2011	Gator Bowl	Ohio State	W, 24–17[99]
2012	Sugar Bowl (BCS)	Louisville	L, 23–33[58]
2014	Birmingham Bowl	East Carolina	W, 28–20[100]
2015	Citrus Bowl	Michigan	L, 7–41[59]
2016	Outback Bowl	Iowa
Games 43	Record: 21–21

† The University Athletic Association does not recognize the 1912 Bacardi Bowl as part of the Gators' bowl record.^[28]

National championships

Year	Coach	Selector	Record	Bowl	Opponent	Result
1996	Steve Spurrier	AP, Coaches	12–1	Sugar Bowl (Bowl Alliance National Championship Game)	Florida State	W 52–20[50]
2006	Urban Meyer	BCS, AP	13–1	BCS National Championship Game	Ohio State	W 41–14[52]
2008	Urban Meyer	BCS, AP	13–1	BCS National Championship Game	Oklahoma	W 24–14[53]
Total:					3

The 1996, 2006 and 2008 Gators were ranked number one in the final AP and Coaches Polls, and were recognized as consensus national champions after winning postseason national-championship games.^[101] Although the 1984 Gators finished third in the final AP Poll and seventh in the final UPI Coaches Poll, they were recognized as national champions by The Sporting News, The New York Times and the Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, FACT, Matthews, and Jeff Sagarin rankings. The 1984 Brigham Young Cougars, ranked number one in the final AP and UPI Coaches Polls, were recognized as consensus national champions.^[102] Florida, ranked fifth in the final 1985 AP Poll, was recognized as national champion by a minor selector.^[103]

Individual award winners

College Football Hall of Fame members

Twelve people associated with the Gators have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, including three former head coaches and nine former players:

Name	Position	Florida years	Inducted
Carlos Alvarez	Wide receiver	1969–71	2011[121]
Charlie Bachman	Coach	1928–32	1978[122]
Wes Chandler	Wide receiver	1974–77	2015[123]
Doug Dickey	Coach	1970–78	2003[124]
Ray Graves	Coach	1960–69	1990[125]
Marcelino Huerta	Coach	1947–49	2002[126]
Wilber Marshall	Linebacker	1980–83	2008[127]
Emmitt Smith	Running back	1987–89	2006[128]
Steve Spurrier	Quarterback	1963–66	1986[129]
Dale Van Sickel	End	1927–29	1975[130]
Danny Wuerffel	Quarterback	1993–96	2013[131]
Jack Youngblood	Defensive end	1967–70	1992[132]

Doug Dickey, the Gators' quarterback in 1951 and 1952, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003 for his record as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers from 1964 to 1969 and the Gators from 1970 to 1978.^[124] Steve Spurrier was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986 for his record as the Gators' Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from 1964 to 1966.^[129] Marcelino Huerta, a standout Gator lineman from 1947 to 1949, was inducted in 2002 for his record as head coach of the Tampa Spartans, Wichita State Shockers and Parson Wildcats.^[126]

All-Americans

Since the Gators' first season in 1906, eighty-nine players have received one or more selections as first-team All-Americans.^[28] This includes thirty-one consensus All-Americans, of which six were unanimous.^[133] The first Florida first-team All-American was end Dale Van Sickel, a member of the 1928 team.^[134] Florida's first consensus All-American was quarterback Steve Spurrier, the winner of the Heisman Trophy for the 1966 Gators.^[28][135]

SEC Legends

Since 1994, the Southeastern Conference has annually designated one former football player from each SEC member school as an "SEC Legend." Through 2012, the following twenty Gators have been SEC Legends:

Fergie Ferguson Award

The Fergie Ferguson Award is given in memory of one of the University of Florida's finest athletes, Forest K. Ferguson. Ferguson was an All-SEC end for the Gators in 1941 and state boxing champion in 1942. Subsequently, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, he led an infantry platoon during the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944.^[136] Ferguson helped clear the way for his troops to advance on the Axis position, and was severely wounded leading his men in the assault.^[136] A recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions,^[136] he died from war-related injuries in 1954. The award, a trophy, is given to the senior football player who most displays "leadership, character, and courage."^[137]

Ring of Honor

Unlike other college and professional sports teams, the Gators do not currently have any retired jersey numbers. Although Steve Spurrier's (11) and Scot Brantley's (55) numbers were once retired, Spurrier reissued them as head coach.^[138]

The Gator Football Ring of Honor, Florida's alternative to retiring a player's number, pays homage to former players and coaches. The University of Florida Athletic Association created the Ring of Honor in 2006 to commemorate 100 years of Florida football. Jerseys with numbers worn by Wilber Marshall, Emmitt Smith, Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, and Jack Youngblood are displayed on the facade of the north end zone of Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium; their numbers are used by current players.^[139]

Name	Position	No.	Florida years	Inducted
Wilber Marshall	Linebacker	88	1980–83	2007
Emmitt Smith	Running back	22	1987–89	2006
Steve Spurrier	Quarterback	11	1964–66, 1990–2001	2006
Danny Wuerffel	Quarterback	7	1993–96	2006
Jack Youngblood	Defensive end	74	1967–70	2006

To be considered for induction into the Ring of Honor, a former player or coach must be absent from the university for five seasons, be in good standing, and meet at least one of the following criteria:^[140]

• Heisman Trophy winner (Spurrier, Wuerffel)
• Former All-Americans inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as players (Smith, Youngblood)
• Former All-Americans who are NFL career category leaders (Smith)
• College-career category leaders
• Coaches with one or more national championship (Spurrier)
• Coaches with three or more SEC championships (Spurrier)
• Players with two or more consensus All-America honors who were also named national offensive or defensive player of the year (Marshall)

All-Time teams

A University of Florida All-Time Team was compiled by the Florida Alumnus, the official publication of the Florida alumni, in 1927.^[141]

Another University of Florida all-time team was chosen by the Miami Herald according to a fan vote in August 1983.

All-Century Team

The Florida Gators All-Century Team, chosen by Gator fans, was compiled by The Gainesville Sun in the fall of 1999.^[142]

100th-Anniversary Team

The 100th-Anniversary Gator Team was selected in 2006 to celebrate a century of Florida football. Fans voted by mail and online.^[143]

Gators in the National Football League

A number of former Florida Gators have played in the National Football League (NFL), beginning in the 1920s. They include defensive lineman Jack Youngblood and running back Emmitt Smith, both of whom were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Coaching staff

The current head coach of the Gators is Jim McElwain, and the 2015 season was his first with the team. McElwain replaced Will Muschamp after the 2014 regular season and bowl game. McElwain's coordinators and assistant coaches are:

Name	Responsibilities	Joined
Jim McElwain	Head coach	2015
Doug Nussmeier	Offensive coordinator, quarterbacks	2015
Geoff Collins	Defensive coordinator	2015
Greg Nord	Special teams, tight ends	2015
Kerry Dixon II	Wide receivers	2015
Randy Shannon	Associate head coach, linebackers	2015
Mike Summers	Offensive line	2014
Torrian Gray	Defensive backs	2016
Tim Skipper	Running backs	2015
Chris Rumph	Defensive line	2015
Mike Kent	Strength and conditioning coach	2015
[144]

Future opponents

Non-division opponents

Florida plays Louisiana State (LSU) (a non-division opponent) annually; with the other six SEC Western Division teams rotated on a six-year cycle, Florida plays every Western Division team once every six years (twice every twelve years) with alternating home and away games.^[145]

2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
vs LSU	vs LSU	at LSU	vs LSU	at LSU	vs LSU	at LSU	vs LSU	at LSU
vs Texas A&M	at MSU	vs Auburn	at Ole Miss	vs Alabama	at Texas A&M	vs Arkansas	at Auburn	vs MSU

Non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of November 13, 2016^[146]

2017	2018	2019	2020
vs Michigan at Arlington, TX September 2	vs Colorado State September 15	vs Miami (FL) at Orlando, FL August 31	vs Eastern Washington September 5
vs Northern Colorado September 9	vs Idaho November 17
vs UAB November 18
vs Florida State November 26	at Florida State November 24	vs Florida State November 30	at Florida State November 28

See also

• Florida Gators
• History of the University of Florida
• List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
• University Athletic Association

Notes

References

Further reading

• 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2015).
• Carlson, Norm (2007). University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators. Atlanta, Georgia: Whitman Publishing, LLC. ISBN 0-7948-2298-3. 
• Golenbock, Peter (2002). Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory. St. Petersburg, Florida: Legends Publishing, LLC. ISBN 0-9650782-1-3. 
• Graham, Klein. History of the University of Florida. 
• Hairston, Jack (2002). Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told. Champaign, Illinois: Sports Publishing, LLC. ISBN 1-58261-514-4. 
• Horne, Larry E. (2012). Florida Gators IQ. ISBN 1-4499-8947-0. 
• Kabat, Ric A. (July 1991). "Before the Seminoles: Football at Florida State College, 1902–1904". Florida Historical Quarterly'. 70 (1). JSTOR 30148092. 
• McCarthy, Kevin M (2000). Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6. 
• McEwen, Tom (1974). The Gators: A Story of Florida Football. Huntsville, Alabama: The Strode Publishers. ISBN 0-87397-025-X. 
• Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.
• Pleasants, Julian M. (2006). Gator Tales: An Oral History of the University of Florida. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida. 
• Proctor, Samuel, & Wright Langley, Gator History: A Pictorial History of the University of Florida, South Star Publishing Company, Gainesville, Florida (1986). ISBN 0-938637-00-2.

External links

• Official website