Gator fans at UF’s annual Orange and Blue spring football game got an extra chance to cheer on Saturday, in the wake of a national men’s basketball championship.
During an extended halftime, Gator Nation celebrated the UF men’s basketball team, which won the NCAA Tournament national championship earlier in the week 65-63 over Houston. It was the Gators’ third time winning the tournament since they took back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.
“I am incredibly proud of this group,” said Florida coach Todd Golden. “They represented this university to the highest level. We’re gonna do everything we can to keep this thing going.”
At 39 years old, Golden is one of the youngest NCAA coaches to lead a team to the national championship. According to the hype footage that UF played at the game, the championship serves to welcome Gator Nation into the “Golden Age.”
The Orange and Blue game is an event infused with Gator spirit, meant to introduce fans to the new football team they’ll be cheering on in the fall. It is a moment of pure cheer, where the Gators are guaranteed a win, and no touchdown is bad.
But the already-excited fans put an extra dose of energy into their cheers when the basketball team walked onto the field and took their seats at the 50-yard line.
Sean Kelley, voice of the Florida Gators, sat down with several key players on the team during the halftime celebration, including Alex Condon, Reuben Chinyelu, Thomas Haugh, Micah Handlogten, Denzel Aberdeen, Alijah Martin, Will Richard and Walter Clayton Jr.
He asked them about their journey to the championship, and the reigning theme of their answers was that “Gator boys stay hot.”
Clayton attributed the Gators’ level of play to the fans who support them.
“[It’s] all the trust that Gator Nation put in us, the trust that we put in each other,” Clayton said.
Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward also made an appearance, presenting the key to the city to Golden, who accepted it on behalf of the team. Ward said the key was a symbol of Gainesville’s love for the team and pride in their accomplishment.
“I want you to know, you found your way into the homes and the hearts of people all over our city,” Ward told the team. “And I want you to know also that you will always have a home right here in the capital of the Gator Nation.”
UF Athletic Director Scott Stricklin thanked the student section, Gator Band, pep band, Gator Boosters and fan base for supporting the team all the way to the championship.
“What this team accomplished provided a lifetime’s worth of memories for each and every Gator,” Stricklin said, noting iconic moments of the team’s journey through March Madness, from Clayton and Haugh’s four straight 3-pointers against Texas Tech, to a second-round comeback against the two-time defending national champion UConn Huskies.
Golden also thanked Gator Nation for its support. He said they gave the Gators “the biggest home court advantage in America” at the Alamodome.
“Most importantly, we’re incredibly grateful to bring a national championship back here to Gainesville, Florida, baby, where it belongs,” Golden said.
