The Swamp is back! And here’s everything you need to know as the Gators host Miami for their season opener.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 2024 Florida football season gets started at the Swamp this weekend! The Gators are set to kick off Saturday afternoon as they host No. 19-ranked Miami, presented by UF Health, for their season opener inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early and to add their Mobile Tickets and digital parking passes to their digital wallet prior to heading to the stadium for faster and more efficient gate access.
Welcome Back to the Swamp!
- Visit the new Football Gameday page for a detailed timeline, and much more!
- SEC Network’s signature traveling shows will broadcast live on campus at the Plaza of the Americas on Saturday morning. Marty & McGee featuring Marty Smith and Ryan McGee will start at 9:00 a.m. SEC Nation will be hosted by Florida graduate Laura Rutledge who will be joined by Gator great Tim Tebow, Paul Finebaum, Jordan Rodgers and Roman Harper starting at 10:00 a.m.
- Gator Walk begins 2 hours and 20 minutes before kickoff.
- Enjoy enhanced team entrance with flame towers, lights and smoke on the field.
- Check out The Gatorland Fan Fest and pick up a Gators hand fan, limited-edition gameday poster, and schedule magnet at the Gatorade truck. Be sure to visit the Florida men’s basketball open practice in the O’Connell Center starting at 10:30 a.m.
- The first 2,000 UF students will receive a cooling towel between Gates 12 and 13, courtesy of American Campus Communities.
- Refuel at the “Grab N Go Gators” concession store inside Gate 18.
- Enter the Gators 50|50 Raffle, presented by the UF Bookstore and benefitting Florida Victorious to assist in providing NIL opportunities for Gator student athletes.
- Fans can still secure seats for all remaining home games in The Swamp with matchups including Samford (Sept. 7), Texas A&M (Sept. 14) UCF (Oct. 5), Kentucky (Oct. 19), LSU (Nov. 16) and Ole Miss (Nov. 23). Click here to see which ticket option best suits you.
- Jevon Kearse is McNeese “Mr. Two Bits”
Know Before You Go
- Arrive early as general public gates open at 2 p.m.
- Premium location entrances will open at 1:30 p.m.
- Fans are encouraged to follow Waze App for Directions and Road Closures.
- Be sure to check out The Swamp’s clear bag policy before entering the stadium.
- Don’t Wait Until the Gate: For faster and more efficient gate access, fans should be ready by adding their Mobile Tickets to their digital wallet. This will greatly reduce issues entering the stadium.
- Fans are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy pregame activities.
- Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m.
- Got game day questions? Ask Albert
Gates Open 90 Minutes Before Kickoff
General public gates at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will open at 2 p.m. this weekend, while premium areas will open at 1:30 p.m. For faster and more efficient gate access, fans should be ready by adding their Mobile Tickets to their digital wallet. This will greatly reduce issues entering the stadium.
Join The Pregame Fun
Tailgating, Gator Walk Village and the Gatorland Fan Fest set the tone for the action in The Swamp.
The Gatorland Fan Fest will be located on the lawn outside Gate 2 of the Stephen C. O’Connell Center starting at 12:30 p.m. Fans can enjoy live music, a live broadcast of the Gators Sports Network pregame show (starting at 12:30 p.m.) as well as sponsorship giveaways. Fans who visit The Gatorland Fan Fest can pick up hand fans, commemorative gameday posters, schedule magnets, and orange & blue shakers while supplies last. Florida men’s basketball will have an open practice starting at 10:30 a.m. in the O’Connell Center.
Once in the stadium, fans can enjoy connectivity with #GatorsWIFI, watch another game on the video scoreboards and make sure they are in place for all of the pre-game activities, including Mr. Two Bits, the mascot entrance, the Gators Marching Band and team entrance. Gators Always, Swamp Open, & Thunderstruck videos have a new look this season.
Photo stream: Fans can post their photos on social media with the #OnlyinTheSwamp for their chance to get their photo up on the Video Board!
Fans can swing by the Gator Sportshop to gear up with the latest Gators swag.
MORE PRE-GAME FESTIVITY INFORMATION
Gators 50|50 Raffle
The Florida Gators are excited to announce that the Florida Victorious Foundation will be managing the 50|50 Raffle for all 2024 Florida Gators football home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, presented by the UF Bookstore. Featuring an extended format that opens the Sunday following each home game through the exciting 4th-quarter drawing, more Gator fans than ever before will be able to participate in the 50/50 Raffle online and in The Swamp. Entries must be made while located in the state of Florida and proceeds support Florida Victorious, the Official NIL partner of the Florida Gators.
ENTER THE GATORS 50|50 RAFFLE NOW
The 4,000-square-foot Grab “N” Go Gators, located inside Gate 18, is the most convenient way to enjoy Saturdays in the Swamp.
In partnership with the UAA’s concessionaire Sodexo Live, Grab N Go Gators, located by Gate 18, features a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, limited hot food and assorted candies and snacks.
The store is equipped with roll up doors for easy access, and its 12 points of sale and latest payment technology make fueling up during Gators games a seamless experience. Grab N Go Gators is a cashless store and will only accept electronic payments.
Additional grab-and-go concessions are also available throughout the stadium:
- Shock Top Helix (Gate 7) and the High Noon Helix (Gate 8) on the north side of the stadium
- Sip N Skip, Gate 9
- Gators Food Patio on the west side of the stadium (Gate 1)
- Section 60
- Section 52
The Gators Food Patio on the West side of the stadium provides a variety of food options, including Classic Italian, Moschellas Special, Chicken Spady and Caprese Sub sandwiches. Additionally, fans can enjoy jumbo cookies, kettle corn, caramel corn and candy, as well as a variety of beers.
Concession areas are also conveniently located in the North end of the stadium in the Shock Top Helix and the High Noon Helix by Gates 7 and 8. Fans can enjoy BBQ, sausage and peppers, burgers, grilled chicken, hot dogs, cheese steak and loaded nachos. Beverages include Modelo, Shock Top, the new pineapple High Noon and 24oz Bud Light Lite along with nonalcoholic beverages.
A selection of Cutwater Spirits in the form of distilled, mixers and ready-to-go canned cocktails are available inside Gate 7. Cutwater is available in a variety of flavors this year for Gator fans to enjoy throughout the football season. Choose from Cutwater Vodka Mule, Rum Tiki Punch, and Pineapple Margarita.
West University Avenue, adjacent to Gator Walk Village, will feature these food trucks on Saturday:
- Flouthern
- Gala Ice
- Big Lee’s
- Rollin Sliders
- Monsta Lobsta
- Mexi Cocina
- Tough Guy Cookies
The trucks will open at 12:30 p.m.
Mobile Tickets
To improve security, reduce the risk of ticket fraud and improve fan convenience, all tickets for Florida Gators athletic events can be accessed through a mobile device.
- Download the Florida Gators App (App Store | Google Pay).
- Don’t Wait Until the Gate: For faster, more efficient gate access, log into your ticket account and add your tickets to your Apple Wallet or Google Pay account. This will greatly reduce issues entering the stadium. (Learn How)
- Screenshots of tickets will not be accepted.
- Beware of fraudulent tickets! There are only three sources authorized to sell tickets to Florida Gators home games: Ticketmaster, the Florida Gators Ticket Office, the Visiting Team’s Ticket Office. Purchasing tickets through any other source is strongly discouraged and tickets purchased from any other source may not grant admission to the game. Fans should avoid purchasing tickets from individuals they do not know, especially individuals selling paper tickets. For more information, click here.
For ticketing assistance on game day, fans should visit the ticket office located at Gate 1 of the O’Connell Center which opens 3 hours prior to kickoff.
Parking on Gameday
The UAA has customized the Waze Traffic App for Game Day to help fans avoid restricted on-campus streets and find the best route to their desired parking location. Select a lot from your mobile device or desktop computer, and the Waze App will provide the best available route to the entrance of the destination.
- Eligible accounts will receive digital passes. For more information contact (352) 375-4683 ext. 5000
- Fans should be aware of road closures around campus for game day festivities, security, and construction. (Learn More)
A limited number of lots that are not reserved are available on a first-come, first-served basis. These lots fill up quickly. Parking on the grass and sidewalks is NOT permitted and any vehicles doing so are at risk of being towed.
Shuttles
As public parking lots are very limited around the stadium, fans can take advantage of the available shuttles. Game ride tickets can be purchased using the GoRTS Fares Transit app (Apple| Android) in advance, or on the day of the game using a credit card. Tickets can also be purchased at Park and Ride locations on the day of the game with cash only.
Campus Access
The following restrictions go into effect three hours prior to kickoff.
- If you are trying to access Gale Lemerand Drive north of Museum Road, you will need a parking pass starting four hours before the game.
- Fans should also be aware that Fletcher Drive is no longer a two-way street. Turning south from University Avenue is not permitted.
- Starting three hours prior to kickoff, no vehicular traffic will be allowed until the end of the game on the following roads:
- West University Avenue between Gale Lemerand Drive to NW 17th Street.
- Gale Lemerand Drive between University Avenue and Stadium Road
- Stadium Road from Gale Lemerand Drive and Fletcher Drive
Staying Cool & Hydrated
The environment at the Swamp can provide a unique advantage on the field. But in the stands, it is important for fans to remain cool and hydrated.
Fans can bring one commercially produced (ex. Aquafina) empty plastic water bottle (max 20 oz) and fill up at the several filling stations inside the stadium.
MORE HYDRATION & COOLING INFORMATION
Restrooms
Inside the Stadium: Please refer to the Stadium Map.
Outside the Stadium: Before entering the stadium, fans may utilize restrooms located across campus.
Starting at 8 a.m.
- Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex
- Flavet Field Restroom building
- Reitz Union
- Architecture Building
- Turlington Hall
Starting at 10:30 a.m.
- Stephen C. O’Connell Center (Gate 1 Lobby)
Starting at 11 a.m.
- Norman Hall
- Florida Gym
- Music Building
- Steinbrenner Building
- Stuzin Hall
- UF Law School
Mobile Restroom Units will also be available throughout campus, starting at 9 a.m. on game day.
- Parking Garage 109
- Parking Garage 114
- UF Library West
- UF Music Building
- North Lawn of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gator Walk Village
- RV City at Condron Family Ballpark — Open for RV City users starting Friday after 4 p.m.
- McCarty Drive
For a map of restrooms around campus, click here.
Family Restrooms are for those fans with small children and guests with disabilities, and are located on the West side of the Stadium inside the Gate 2 corridor between sections 6 and 8, and behind section 15. Prior to kickoff and before entering the Stadium, fans may utilize the restrooms inside the main atrium of Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
Nursing Suites are available for nursing mothers or women bottle-feeding children, and are located between Gates 15 and 16. Parents can access the Nursing Suite 90 minutes prior to kickoff, in line with regular stadium entry, and the suite will close 20 minutes after the conclusion of a game.
Baby Changing Stations are located in various restrooms throughout Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
- North End Zone: Gate 8 (Women’s) & Gate 7 (Men’s)
- South End Zone: Gate 18 (Men’s)
- East Side: Section 36 (Women’s) & Section 40 (Men’s)
- West Side: Gate 2 (Men’s & Women’s)
In-Game Experience and Traditions
The Swamp is home to one of the most unique environments in college football. Once in their seats, fans will be able to experience and take part in the traditions that make Gator Nation on of the most exciting fanbases in college football:
UF Marching Band
Arrive early and stay in your seats at halftime, so you don’t miss a special ‘Motown’ tribute performance by the University of Florida’s Fightin’ Gator Marching Band.
Honorary Two Bits
Join in one of the Swamp’s most iconic moments prior to kickoff with the Celebrity “Mr. Two Bits” cheer. The season opening Mr. Two Bits will be announced game week.
I Won’t Back Down
Florida Gators fans honor Gainesville, Florida, native Tom Petty in between the third and fourth quarters by singing “I Won’t Back Down,” one of the late artist’s biggest hits. The song first played on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, against the LSU Tigers in which 90,000 fans sang along.
Honorary Two Bits
Join in one of the Swamp’s most iconic moments prior to kickoff with the Celebrity “Mr. Two Bits” cheer. Jevon Kearse, a member of the 2006 championship team, is “Mr. Two Bits” for the Miami game.
