1.
Gainesville, Florida
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Gainesville is the county seat and largest city in Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of Gainesville in the 2013 US Census estimates was 127,488, Gainesville is the largest city in the region of North Central Florida. It is also a component of the Gainesville-Lake City Combined Statistical Area, Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, the nations ninth-largest university campus by enrollment, as well as to Santa Fe College. The Gainesville MSA was ranked as the No.1 place to live in North America in the 2007 edition of Cities Ranked and Rated, also in 2007, Gainesville was ranked as one of the best places to live and play in the United States by National Geographic Adventure. About 12,000 years ago Paleo-Indians lived in Florida, although it is not known for certain whether any permanent settlements from that period were in the present city limits of Gainesville, archaeological evidence of human presence exists. Eventually more complex social organization and agricultural practices emerged into what archaeologists classify as the Deptford culture, a Deptford culture campsite has been excavated beneath the subsequent Alachua culture Law School Burial Mound on the grounds of the University of Florida. The UF campus burial mound was built about 1000 A. D. by Alachua culture inhabitants who lived along the shore of Lake Alice. In the recorded period, the region was home to the Potano, the remaining Timucua were converted to Roman Catholicism and organized into missions overseen by Franciscan priests. The Mission San Francisco de Potano, the first doctrina in Florida west of the St. Johns River, was founded in 1606 at the edge of present-day San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park. Chief Potanos town was relocated in the period to the vicinity of the Devils Millhopper. Spanish colonists began cattle ranching in the Paynes Prairie area using Timucua labor, between 1763 and 1784 what is now Gainesville fell within the jurisdiction of the colony of British East Florida. Gainesville was founded to place the Alachua County seat on the route of the Florida Railroad Companys line stretching from Cedar Key to Fernandina Beach. County residents decided to move the county seat from Newnansville in 1853, a site on Black Oak Ridge where the railroad was expected to cross it was selected in 1854. It is generally accepted that the new settlement was named for General Edmund P. Gaines, the railroad was completed from Fernandina to Gainesville in 1859, passing six blocks south of the courthouse. Hogtown is the village of the adjacent Hogtown Creek, which flows 5.7 miles through Gainesville. Hogtown continued to exist until after Gainesville was founded, as evidenced on a map showing both towns, which was published in 1864 based on surveys from 1855, two residents of Hogtown played a prominent role in establishing Gainesville. William Lewis, who owned a plantation in Hogtown, delivered 20 votes pledged to him to create a new town on the route of the railroad. Tillman Ingram, who owned a plantation and a sawmill in Hogtown
2.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
3.
University of Florida Athletic Association
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The UAA is run by a board of directors led by the University of Floridas athletic director. The athletic director also acts as the UAAs chief financial officer, the athletic association was originally incorporated in 1929 with impetus from university president John J. Tigert to oversee the construction of Florida Field. Since then, its mission has grown to include operating and improving all of the athletic programs. The UAA does not depend on the University of Floridas state funding for financial support, jeremy Foley, who spent his entire working career with UFs Athletic Association, was the first University of Florida AD to have never previously been a coach or a scholarship athlete at the school. Foley retired in 2016, and Scott Stricklin, his replacement, history of the University of Florida List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
4.
Seating capacity
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Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats hundreds of thousands of people. The International Fire Code, portions of which have adopted by many jurisdictions, is directed more towards the use of a facility than the construction. It specifies, For areas having fixed seating without dividing arms and it also requires that every public venue submit a detailed site plan to the local fire code official, including details of the means of egress, seating capacity, arrangement of the seating. Once safety considerations have been satisfied, determinations of seating capacity turn on the size of the venue. For sports venues, the decision on maximum seating capacity is determined by several factors, chief among these are the primary sports program and the size of the market area. Seating capacity of venues also plays a role in what media they are able to provide, in contracting to permit performers to use a theatre or other performing space, the seating capacity of the performance facility must be disclosed. Seating capacity may influence the kind of contract to be used, the seating capacity must also be disclosed to the copyright owner in seeking a license for the copyrighted work to be performed in that venue. Venues that may be leased for private functions such as ballrooms and auditoriums generally advertise their seating capacity, seating capacity is also an important consideration in the construction and use of sports venues such as stadiums and arenas. The seating capacity for restaurants is reported as covers, a restaurant that can seat 99 is said to have 99 covers, seating capacity differs from total capacity, which describes the total number of people who can fit in a venue or in a vehicle either sitting or standing. Use of the term public capacity indicates that a venue is allowed to more people than it can actually seat. Again, the total number of people can refer to either the physical space available or limitations set by law
5.
AstroTurf
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AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. The original AstroTurf product was a synthetic turf. The prime reason to incorporate AstroTurf on game fields was to avoid the cost of laying natural turf, the name AstroTurf has evolved into a generic trademark and is sometimes used to refer to all brands of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf brand product was co-invented in 1965 by Donald L. Elbert, James M. Faria and it was patented in 1965 and originally sold under the name ChemGrass. It was re-branded as AstroTurf by an employee named John A. Wortmann after its first well-publicized use at the Houston Astrodome stadium in 1966. Early iterations of the short pile turf swept the major stadia, concerns over directionality and traction led Monsantos R&D department to implement a texturized nylon system. By imparting a crimped texture to the nylon after it was extruded, in 1987, Monsanto consolidated its AstroTurf management, marketing, and technical activities in Dalton, Georgia, as AstroTurf Industries, Inc. In 1988, Balsam AG purchased all the stock of AstroTurf Industries. In 1994, Southwest Recreational Industries, Inc. acquired the AstroTurf brand, in 1996, SRI was acquired by American Sports Products Group Inc. While AstroTurf was the leader throughout the late 20th century. FieldTurf, AstroTurfs chief competitor in the early 2000s and today and this third generation turf, as it became known, changed the landscape of the marketplace. Although SRI successfully marketed AstroPlay, a third generation turf product, increased competition, despite their legal victory, increased competition took its toll. Out of the proceedings, Textile Management Associates, Inc. of Dalton, Georgia, acquired the AstroTurf brand. TMA began marketing the AstroTurf brand under the company AstroTurf, LLC, in 2006, General Sports Venue became TMAs marketing partner for the AstroTurf brand for the American market. AstroTurf, LLC handled the marketing of AstroTurf in the rest of the world, in 2009, TMA acquired GSV in order to enter the marketplace as a direct seller. AstroTurf, LLC focused its efforts on research and development, which has promoted rapid growth, AstroTurf introduced new product features and installation methods, including AstroFlect and field prefabrication. AstroTurf also introduced a product called RootZone consisting of crimped fibers designed to encapsulate infill and this product has been adopted by many professional organizations and colleges in the United States. In 2016, SportGroup Holding announced that it would purchase AstroTurf,1964 The Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, installs ChemGrass
6.
Cynodon dactylon
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Although it is not native to Bermuda, it is an abundant invasive species there. It is presumed to have arrived in North America from Bermuda, in Bermuda it has been known as crab grass. The blades are a color and are short, usually 2–15 cm long with rough edges. The erect stems can grow 1–30 cm tall, the stems are slightly flattened, often tinged purple in colour. The seed heads are produced in a cluster of two to six together at the top of the stem, each spike 2–5 cm long. It has a root system, in drought situations with penetrable soil. The grass creeps along the ground and roots wherever a node touches the ground, C. dactylon reproduces through seeds, runners, and rhizomes. Growth begins at temperatures above 15 °C with optimum growth between 24 and 37 °C, in winter, the grass becomes dormant and turns brown, growth is promoted by full sun and retarded by full shade, e. g. close to tree trunks. Cynodon dactylon is widely cultivated in warm climates all over the world between about 30° S and 30° N latitude, and that get between 625 and 1,750 mm of rainfall a year. It is also found in the U. S. mostly in the half of the country. Control/eradication It is fast-growing and tough, making it popular and useful for sports fields and it is a highly desirable turf grass in warm temperate climates, particularly for those regions where its heat and drought tolerance enable it to survive where few other grasses do. This combination makes it a frequent choice for golf courses in the southern and southeastern U. S and it has a relatively coarse-bladed form with numerous cultivars selected for different turf requirements. It is also aggressive, crowding out most other grasses and invading other habitats. This weedy nature leads some gardeners to give it the name of devil grass, Bermuda grass is incredibly difficult to control in flower beds and most herbicides do not work. However, Ornamec, Ornamec 170 and Turflon ester have shown effectiveness as well as Imazapyr. All of these items are difficult to find in stores as they are primarily marketed to professional landscapers. The hybrid variety Tifton 85, like some other grasses, produces cyanide under certain conditions, and has been implicated in several livestock deaths
7.
Rudolph Weaver
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Rudolph Weaver was an American architect, university professor and administrator renowned for various buildings that he designed in Florida, Idaho and Washington, many of which are academic. Weaver was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the son of Henry Weaver and his wife, before college he worked as a bookbinder, printer and steelworker. He attended Pennsylvania State College for the year 1902-03 and then went to Drexel Institute where he received a diploma in architecture in 1905. He continued his study of architecture at Columbia University from 1906 to 1907 and he later received a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from Drexel in 1919. From 1909 to 1911, Weaver was an instructor in architecture at the University of Illinois, from 1911 to 1923, he was the first chairman of the architecture department at what is now Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, and was the first architect for the institution. From 1925 until his death in 1944 he was founding dean of University of Floridas College of Architecture. During that time he was also the architect for the Florida Board of Control, as board architect, Weaver succeeded William Augustus Edwards, the first architect to the board, and continued designing buildings in the Collegiate Gothic style begun by Edwards. It was the last Gothic building at FSU, Rudolph Weaver died in Gainesville in 1944 and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery. His wife, Alice, died on July 26,1960, Rudolph Weaver Hall at the University of Florida was named for him, but is now called Fine Arts Building A and houses the UF Architecture & Fine Arts Library. There is also a Weaver Residence Hall, which some UF sites say was named for him, while others say it was named for his wife, since his wife was named Alice and survived him, it appears that the first version is correct. UF Guide to the Rudolph Weaver Architectural Records Tate, Susan, Preservation and Compatible Growth of a Twentieth Century Campus, The University of Florida
8.
Florida Gators
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The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The University of Florida, its program, its alumni. The Gators compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Southeastern Conference, All Florida Gators sports teams compete in NCAA Division I, and twenty of the twenty-one Gators teams compete in the SEC. The University of Florida was one of the thirteen members who joined together to form the new Southeastern Conference on December 8 and 9,1932. Previously, the university was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1912 to 1921, albert and Alberta are the official costumed mascots of the Florida Gators. Albert and Alberta are unique among the SECs mascots as the only male-and-female pair, McKethan Stadium for baseball, and James G. Pressly Stadium for soccer and outdoor track and field. The Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium and the Florida Lacrosse Facility are located on Hull Road on the side of the campus. The Mark Bostick Golf Course and Scott Linder Stadium for tennis are located on S. W, second Avenue on the northwestern side of the campus. For the 2014–15 school year, the UAA has a budget of $103,310,001, projected revenues of $104,064,487. Scott Stricklin is Floridas athletic director, the Florida Gators athletic program has been recognized as the best overall in the Southeastern Conference over the past two decades, and consistently as one of the best in the nation. During the 2013–14 school year, the Gators mens and womens teams combined to win the Southeastern Conference All-Sports Trophy for the time in the past twenty-seven years. The mens athletic program was also the winner of the 2010–11 and 2011–12 Capital One Cup, Florida is one of only two schools in NCAA Division I history to hold the mens basketball and football championships during the same school year, the other being Oklahoma State University. In January 2009, the Gators football team won the 2009 BCS National Championship Game with a 24–14 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners, individual Gator athletes have won 279 individual NCAA championships in boxing, golf, gymnastics, swimming and diving, tennis, and track and field. Coach Andy Lopez took over the Gators baseball program in 1994, in 1996, he coached the Gators to a fifty-win season and a College World Series bid. By 2000, the program had seemingly hit a plateau and Lopez was replaced, pat McMahon became the Gators head coach in 2001 after coaching the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Gators 2005 baseball season was the most successful to date, with the winning the SEC title. The team advanced to the round against the Texas Longhorns. Following their 2005 College World Series run, the Gators opened the 2006 season ranked one in the polls, but struggled to finish 28–28 record
9.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
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The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a non-profit association which regulates athletes of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations, and individuals. It also organizes the programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. The organization is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2014, the NCAA generated almost a billion dollars in revenue. 80 to 90% of this revenue was due to the Division I Mens Basketball Tournament and this revenue is then distributed back into various organizations and institutions across the United States. In August 1973, the current three-division setup of Division I, Division II, under NCAA rules, Division I and Division II schools can offer scholarships to athletes for playing a sport. Division III schools may not offer any athletic scholarships, generally, larger schools compete in Division I and smaller schools in II and III. Division I football was divided into I-A and I-AA in 1978. Subsequently, the term Division I-AAA was briefly added to delineate Division I schools which do not field a football program at all, in 2006, Divisions I-A and I-AA were respectively renamed the Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision. Inter-collegiate sports began in the US in 1852 when crews from Harvard University, as other sports emerged, notably football and basketball, many of these same concepts and standards were adopted. Football, in particular, began to emerge as a marquee sport, the IAAUS was officially established on March 31,1906, and took its present name, the NCAA, in 1910. For several years, the NCAA was a group and rules-making body, but in 1921, the first NCAA national championship was conducted. Gradually, more rules committees were formed and more championships were created, a series of crises brought the NCAA to a crossroads after World War II. The Sanity Code – adopted to establish guidelines for recruiting and financial aid – failed to curb abuses, postseason football games were multiplying with little control, and member schools were increasingly concerned about how the new medium of television would affect football attendance. The complexity of problems and the growth in membership and championships demonstrated the need for full-time professional leadership. Walter Byers, previously an executive assistant, was named executive director in 1951. Byers wasted no time placing his stamp on the Association, as college athletics grew, the scope of the nations athletics programs diverged, forcing the NCAA to create a structure that recognized varying levels of emphasis. In 1973, the Associations membership was divided into three legislative and competitive divisions – I, II, and III, five years later in 1978, Division I members voted to create subdivisions I-A and I-AA in football. Until the 1980s, the association did not offer womens athletics, instead, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, with nearly 1000 member schools, governed womens collegiate sports in the United States
10.
American football
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The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs, or plays, or else they turn over the football to the opposing team, if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs. Points are primarily scored by advancing the ball into the teams end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponents goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins, American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of association football and rugby football. The first game of American football was played on November 6,1869, during the latter half of the 1870s, colleges playing association football switched to the Rugby Union code, which allowed carrying the ball. American football as a whole is the most popular sport in the United States, Professional football and college football are the most popular forms of the game, with the other major levels being high school and youth football. As of 2012, nearly 1.1 million high school athletes and 70,000 college athletes play the sport in the United States annually, almost all of them men, in the United States, American football is referred to as football. The term football was established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season. The terms gridiron or American football are favored in English-speaking countries where other codes of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, American football evolved from the sports of association football and rugby football. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6,1869 between Rutgers and Princeton, two college teams, the game was played between two teams of 25 players each and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head or sides, Rutgers won the game 6 goals to 4. Collegiate play continued for years in which matches were played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia, Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19,1873 to create a set of rules for all schools to adhere to. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet were specified, Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. An 1875 Harvard-Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two impressed Princeton athletes and these players introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to selling refrigerators to Eskimos. Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Columbia then agreed to play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association, although Yale did not join until 1879, the introduction of the snap resulted in unexpected consequences. Prior to the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position, however, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they now could hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, both teams in a game between Yale-Princeton used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records, each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0-0 tie
11.
Stadium
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Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event at the ancient Greek Olympic festival was the race that comprised one length of the stade at Olympia, where the word stadium originated. In modern times, a stadium is officially a stadium when at least 50% of the capacity is an actual building. If the majority of the capacity is formed by grasshills, the venue is not officially considered a stadium. Most of the stadiums with a capacity of at least 10,000 are used for football, or soccer. A large amount of sports venues are also used for concerts. Stadium is the Latin form of the Greek word stadion, a measure of length equalling the length of 600 human feet, as feet are of variable length the exact length of a stadion depends on the exact length adopted for 1 foot at a given place and time. Although in modern terms 1 stadion =600 ft, in a historical context it may actually signify a length up to 15% larger or smaller. The equivalent Roman measure, the stadium, had a similar length — about 185 m -, the English use of stadium comes from the tiered infrastructure surrounding a Roman track of such length. Most dictionaries provide for both stadiums and stadia as valid English plurals, although etymological purists sometimes apply stadia only to measures of length in excess of 1 stadium. The oldest known stadium is the one in Olympia, in the western Peloponnese, Greece, initially the Games consisted of a single event, a sprint along the length of the stadium. The stadion, a measure of length, may be related to the Stadium, Greek and Roman stadiums have been found in numerous ancient cities, perhaps the most famous being the Stadium of Domitian, in Rome. The excavated and refurbished ancient Panathenaic stadium hosted a version of the Olympic Games in 1870,1875,1896 and 1906. The excavation and refurbishment of the stadium was part of the legacy of the Greek national benefactor Evangelos Zappas, the first stadiums to be built in the modern era were basic facilities, designed for the single purpose of fitting as many spectators in as possible. One such early stadium was the Lansdowne Road Stadium, the brainchild of Henry Dunlop, banned from locating sporting events at Trinity College, Dunlop built the stadium in 1872. Some 300 cartloads of soil from a trench beneath the railway were used to raise the ground, other early stadiums from this period in the UK include the Stamford Bridge stadium and Anfield stadium. In the U. S. However, many of these caught fire. All of the 19th-century wooden parks were replaced, some only a few years. Goodison Park was the first purpose-built football stadium in the world, walton-based building firm Kelly brothers were instructed to erect two uncovered stands that could each accommodate 4,000 spectators
12.
University of Florida
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The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university on a 2, 000-acre campus in Gainesville, Florida. It is a member of the State University System of Florida and traces its origins to 1853. The University is classified as a Research University with Very High Research by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, for 2017, U. S. News & World Report ranked Florida as the fourteenth best public university in the United States. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and it is the third largest Florida university by student population, and is the eighth largest single-campus university in the United States with 49,913 students enrolled for the fall 2012 semester. The University of Florida is home to sixteen colleges and more than 150 research centers. The University of Florida traces its origins to 1853, when the East Florida Seminary, on January 6,1853, Governor Thomas Brown signed a bill that provided public support for higher education in Florida. Gilbert Kingsbury was the first person to take advantage of the legislation, and established the East Florida Seminary, the East Florida Seminary was Floridas first state-supported institution of higher learning. James Henry Roper, an educator from North Carolina and a senator from Alachua County, had opened a school in Gainesville. In 1866, Roper offered his land and school to the State of Florida in exchange for the relocation of the East Florida Seminary to Gainesville, the second major precursor to the University of Florida was the Florida Agricultural College, established at Lake City by Jordan Probst in 1884. Florida Agricultural College became the states first land-grant college under the Morrill Act, in 1905, the Florida Legislature passed the Buckman Act, which consolidated the states publicly supported higher education institutions. The member of the legislature who wrote the act, Henry Holland Buckman, later became the namesake of Buckman Hall, the Buckman Act organized the State University System of Florida and created the Florida Board of Control to govern the system. The City of Gainesville, led by its Mayor William Reuben Thomas, on July 6,1905, the Board of Control selected Gainesville for the new university campus. Andrew Sledd, president of the pre-existing University of Florida at Lake City, was selected to be the first president of the new University of the State of Florida, architect William A. Edwards designed the first official campus buildings in the Collegiate Gothic style. Classes began on the new Gainesville campus on September 26,1906, in 1909, the schools name was simplified from the University of the State of Florida to the University of Florida. The alligator was incidentally chosen as the mascot in 1911, after a local vendor ordered. Murphree is the only University of Florida president honored with a statue on the campus, before this, only the summer semester was coeducational, to accommodate women teachers who wanted to further their education during the summer break. Lassie Goodbread-Black from Lake City became the first woman to enroll at the University of Florida, john J. Tigert became the third university president in 1928. By the end of the 1946–47 school year,954 men were enrolled at the Tallahassee Branch, the following semester, the Florida Legislature returned the Florida State College for Women to coeducational status and renamed it Florida State University
13.
Florida Gators football
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The Florida Gators football program represents the University of Florida in American college football. Florida competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and they play their home games in Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the universitys Gainesville campus. The Gators have won three championships and eight SEC titles in the 108-season history of Floridas varsity football program. The Florida football program has evolved from its beginnings and achieved notable successes. Florida has had a 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 quickly became popular. Since 1906 Florida has had twenty-five head coaches, including three who were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame for their coaching success and 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 programs early years, Florida was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, in 1932 the University of Florida was a founding member of the Southeastern Conference, and it is currently one of fourteen member institutions. The Gators have competed in the SEC Eastern Division since the league began 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, 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, Florida has 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 often has national-title implications. The remaining dates on Floridas regular schedule are filled by non-conference opponents which vary from year to year, previously known as the worlds largest outdoor cocktail party, it is most commonly called the Florida–Georgia game by Gator fans. The game is held at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, the designated home team alternates, with ticket distribution split evenly between the schools. In the rivalrys early years, games rotated among locations in Savannah, Georgia, Tampa, Florida, Jacksonville and, occasionally, Gainesville, since 1933 the game has been played in Jacksonville, except for 1994 and 1995. Georgia had early success in the rivalry, winning the first six games, after the 2014 game Florida had won 21 out of the most-recent 27 games, and holds a 38–28–1 advantage in the series since 1950. The Bulldogs lead the overall, 49–43–2
14.
College football
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It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. No minor league farm organizations exist in American football and it is in college football where a players performance directly impacts his chances of playing professional football. The best collegiate players will declare for the professional draft after 3 to 4 years of collegiate competition. Those not selected can still attempt to land an NFL roster spot as a free agent. Even after the emergence of the professional National Football League, college football remained extremely popular throughout the U. S, in many cases, college stadiums employ bench-style seating, as opposed to individual seats with backs and arm rests. This allows them to more fans in a given amount of space than the typical professional stadium. College athletes, unlike players in the NFL, are not permitted by the NCAA to be paid salaries, colleges are only allowed to provide non-monetary compensation such as athletic scholarships that provide for tuition, housing, and books. Modern North American football has its origins in various games, all known as football, by the 1840s, students at Rugby School were playing a game in which players were able to pick up the ball and run with it, a sport later known as Rugby football. The game was taken to Canada by British soldiers stationed there and was soon being played at Canadian colleges, the first documented gridiron football match was a game played at University College, a college of the University of Toronto, November 9,1861. One of the participants in the game involving University of Toronto students was William Mulock, a football club was formed at the university soon afterward, although its rules of play at this stage are unclear. In 1864, at Trinity College, also a college of the University of Toronto, F. Barlow Cumberland, modern Canadian football is widely regarded as having originated with a game played in Montreal, in 1865, when British Army officers played local civilians. The game gradually gained a following, and the Montreal Football Club was formed in 1868, early games appear to have had much in common with the traditional mob football played in England. The games remained largely unorganized until the 19th century, when games of football began to be played on college campuses. Each school played its own variety of football, Princeton University students played a game called ballown as early as 1820. A Harvard tradition known as Bloody Monday began in 1827, which consisted of a mass ballgame between the freshman and sophomore classes, in 1860, both the town police and the college authorities agreed the Bloody Monday had to go. The Harvard students responded by going into mourning for a figure called Football Fightum. The authorities held firm and it was a dozen years before football was again played at Harvard. Dartmouth played its own version called Old division football, the rules of which were first published in 1871, all of these games, and others, shared certain commonalities
15.
University of Florida Campus Historic District
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The University of Florida Campus Historic District is a historic district on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. On April 20,1989, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, note, These were designed by Rudolph Weaver, except for University Auditorium, which was designed by William Augustus Edwards. Note, These are outside the district, Johnson Hall was UFs original dining hall, located west of Dauer, it was designed by William Augustus Edwards, built 1912 and burned 1987. The Academic Advising Center now occupies the site, old Benton Hall, was designed by William Augustus Edwards, built 1911 and demolished 1966. Grinter Hall, built in 1971, now occupies the site, original Post Office, third building on campus, demolished before 1977 to make way for General Purpose Building A, now Turlington Hall. In 1927 Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. did a plan for UF. In 1931 the central plaza became the Plaza of the Americas
16.
Murphree Area
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Murphree Area is an historic residence hall complex on the northern edge of the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. The complex is adjacent to University Avenue, one of the public roads that serve the university. It was the universitys first residence area and the last one to become co-ed, the Murphree Area complex is named for Albert A. Murphree, the second president of the university, who served from 1909 to 1927. Buckman Hall was named for Henry Holland Buckman, the member of the Florida Legislature who wrote the Buckman Act, the buildings are constructed of brick, have three and a half floors, and are late Gothic Revival-Tudorbethan in style. Both buildings were designed for student housing but have served many uses, Buckman Hall contained a six-bed infirmary, gymnasium, and an apartment for a professor. Both buildings had hardwood floors and potbellied stoves, in 1906, students paid $2.50 in rent to live in the halls. The collections of the Florida Museum of Natural History were for a time displayed at Thomas Hall. In 1911, final plans were made for the construction of four buildings, an agriculture building, the University Commons Building, the language hall. When these facilities were completed in fall 1913, parts of Thomas Hall were left vacant, in 1940, Thomas Hall was linked to Fletcher and Sledd Halls, forming a UF shape that can be seen from the air. From 1940 to 1949, the interiors of Buckman and Thomas Halls were renovated, in 1974, Thomas Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with the register reading 1905–1906, Edwards and Walters, architects. One of first 2 buildings on University of Florida campus, a press release issued when Thomas Hall was added to register told the story of the campus legend of Old Steve, the ghost who haunts Murphree Area, the last all-male residence area. According to the legend, Old Steve was the head cook on campus who worked in the kitchen in the center of Thomas Hall, beneath the classrooms. Increased electrical demands of students put heavy burdens on Thomas Hall, draining power and causing circuit overloads and thrown breakers, in 2000, a $2.5 million four-year electrical upgrade project began with the aim of providing at least one 20-amp circuit per student. The project required total rewiring of the halls—from transformers to each outlet and switch—and the installation of a new 23, 000-volt primary distribution switch. In 2002, a $500,000 project to landscape the university’s historic area began when Florida alumni Herb, landscape architecture students at the university assisted in the design, which includes proposed sidewalks, landscaping plants and design, walls, and seating areas. Thomas Hall is co-ed by section and occupied by 170 residents
17.
Florida Gymnasium
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The Florida Gymnasium is a historic building located on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. It opened in 1949 as a 7, 000-seat multi-purpose arena that was home to the Florida Gators mens basketball team, while serving as the home court of the basketball team, it acquired the nickname Alligator Alley. Before the Florida Gymnasium, UFs basketball team played and practiced in University Gymnasium, the University Gym was designed to be a recreational facility for students, not an arena to host spectators, so it was not considered a proper home court for an intercollegiate sports program. Design work on a facility was started in the early 1940s by university architect Rudolph Weaver. Plans were completed by Guy Fulton, and the building was completed in 1949, the old University Gymnasium then became the Womens Gymnasium. Alligator Alley was a venue for opponents because the seating was very close to the court and, when full. However, it had no air conditioning and few amenities, as years passed, it was increasingly seen as small and outdated, and was compared to a dismal and dreary old high school gym by observers. In 1975, the university began planning for a much larger multi-purpose sports arena, the OConnell Center debuted in December 1980 as the new home of all of UFs indoor athletic teams. The Florida Gymnasium was gradually adapted to other uses after the OConnell Center opened and it was used primarily as a student recreation center, and a series of renovations repurposed space for use by the College of Health and Human Performance. The basketball court remains in the center of the building, however, in 2008, Florida Gymnasium became a contributing property in the University of Florida Campus Historic District which was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 20,1989. Buildings at the University of Florida History of the University of Florida
18.
Ustler Hall
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Kathryn Chicone Ustler Hall is a historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. It was designed by William Augustus Edwards in the Collegiate Gothic style, on June 27,1979, it was added to the U. S. National Register of Historic Places. Construction on the began in the summer of 1918, just as World War I was coming to an end. It was designed as a hall and sports venue, and was used for several years as the home of the Florida Gators mens basketball team. Audience size was not part of the plans, however. With the university continuing to grow, by the mid-1920s the building was used for intramural sports. When the university went fully co-educational in 1948, the building was renamed the Womens Gymnasium and was used for hosting sporting events. Though it stopped being used for sporting events in 1979 and the university received state funds to demolish the building, the restoration process began in 2004 and the Womens Studies Department moved into the facility in July 2006. Now known as Ustler Hall, it houses the Center for Womens, Ustler Hall is the only freestanding campus building in the United States devoted solely to Women’s Studies. This is the first building on the UF campus renamed to honor a woman, smathers Libraries UF Builds, The Architecture of the University of Florida Womens Gymnasium Center for Womens Studies and Gender Research
19.
O'Connell Center
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OConnell Center, also known as the ODome, is a 10, 133-seat multi-purpose arena located on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. The facility is named for the president of the university. OConnell, who served from 1967 to 1973, the facility is located on the northern side of the universitys campus, between its football field, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field, and its baseball field, McKethan Stadium. The entire facility was known as the OConnell Center until from 1980 until 2016, the facility was quickly dubbed the ODome by students, a nickname that is still in use. ESPN The Magazine nicknamed it the House of Horrors in 1999, the student section of the stadium has been dubbed the Rowdy Reptiles. ESPN commentator Dick Vitale, on assignment at the Florida-Kentucky game in 2006, on December 23,2006, a then-record crowd of 12,621 watched the fifth-ranked Gators defeat the third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, 86–60. This record was broken, however, on February 5,2011 in a 70–68 Gator victory over the 11th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats, in addition to sports, the OConnell Center regularly hosts many other events on campus. Other events held at the facility include University of Florida graduation ceremonies, trade shows, career fairs, political rallies, public speeches, and various large banquets and private events. Banquet capacity is 2,800, and concert capacity is 6,300 for a show,9,300 for an end-stage show and 12,000 for a center-stage show. Before the OConnell Center, the University of Floridas basketball teams and other sports programs used the on-campus Florida Gymnasium. The Florida Gym was built in 1949, and it was considered a venue for opponents because the seating was very close to the court and, when full. However, it was small, un-air conditioned, and had very few amenities. In 1975, the University of Florida Athletic Association decided to seek funds to build a new facility for UFs indoor sports programs, the $15.6 million OConnell Center broke ground in October 1977 in a parking lot across the street from Florida Field. Construction was slowed on both the Sun Dome and the OConnell Center when cracks appeared in precast concrete support beams, the first event at the Stephen C. OConnell Student Activities Center was a Florida mens basketball game held on December 30,1980 and it was officially dedicated a few weeks later in January 1981. The new arena had a positive effect on Floridas mens basketball program. Sloan had been Floridas coach in the 1960s but had left for North Carolina State and he returned to Florida in 1980 and was thus the Gators coach during the first season played in the new OConnell Center. Sloan explained that he had enjoyed it tremendously when I was here before, the OConnell Center was envisioned as a competition and practice facility for most of the universitys indoor sports programs, and this has been the case throughout its existence
20.
Florida Gators men's basketball
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The Florida Gators mens basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in NCAA Division I and the Southeastern Conference and they play their home games in the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. OConnell Center on the universitys Gainesville, Florida campus, and are led by head coach Mike White, the Florida Gators mens team annually plays an eighteen-game conference schedule that is preceded by an out-of-conference schedule that includes an annual game against in-state rival Florida State. Their conference schedule consists of a pair of games against five SEC teams. Historically, the Gators did not have significant rivals in mens basketball, since the late 1980s, however, Florida has built rivalries with Kentucky and Tennessee as the Gators have become consistent contenders for the Southeastern Conference championship. The modern University of Florida was created in 1905, when the Florida Legislature passed the Buckman Act, the first Gators basketball team compiled a 5–1 record, but the following three seasons were canceled during and immediately after World War I. The team was restarted for the 1919–20 season without a professional coach, head coach William G. Kline, who also coached the Florida Gators football team, led the Gators basketball team from 1920 to 1922. By the mid-1920s the team outgrew the University Gymnasium, so the university built another gym to hold the crowds of the student population. Dubbed the New Gym, the Gators played there until 1949, in December 1932, the University of Florida joined the Southeastern Conference as one of its thirteen charter members. The Gators spent most of the first half-century of SEC play in the half of the standings. They only finished higher than fourth twice between 1932–33 and 1979–80, cody had previously coached the Clemson and Vanderbilt basketball teams, Maurer had previously coached the Kentucky and Tennessee basketball squads. None of them were able to build the Gators into consistent contenders in conference play, in hopes of breathing life into the program, Florida hired Norm Sloan as its first full-time head coach for the 1960–61 season. He compiled a record of 85–63 in six seasons, including the Gators first two wins over long-dominant Kentucky in SEC play, sloans Gators did not receive a postseason tournament invitation during his tenure, however, until 1975 only the conference champion was guaranteed an NCAA bid. Nonetheless, according to Florida historian Norm Carlson, Sloan elevated the Gators basketball program from an intramural program, Sloan left Florida for his alma mater, North Carolina State, after the 1965-66 season. Tommy Bartlett succeeded Sloan as head coach in 1966–67 and his Gators experienced initial success during his first three seasons, finishing second, fifth and third respectively in SEC play. His first team notched the schools first 20-win season, a sweep by Tennessee left them one game short of their first SEC title. Led by center Neal Walk and forward Andy Owens, the received a bid to the 1969 National Invitation Tournament—the first postseason tournament invitation in team history. Bartlett could not sustain the level of talent in recruiting, john Lotz, a respected assistant under North Carolinas Dean Smith, succeeded Bartlett in 1973–74
21.
Florida Gators women's basketball
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The Florida Gators womens basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Gators play their home games at the OConnell Center located on the universitys Gainesville, Florida campus, and are currently led by head coach Cameron Newbauer. Womens basketball was approved as a sport by University of Florida in March 1972, in 1975, the Gators debuted as a varsity program under head coach Paula Welch. They made local headlines in 1976 by winning the championship by beating the other three womens teams in the state at that time. The winningest coach at Florida is Carol Ross, who guided the team for twelve seasons but left Florida to coach the basketball team at her alma mater. Floridas womens team was coached by Carolyn Peck, a former WNBA coach who won a title with Purdue. Peck was fired midway through the 2006–2007 season, after enduring the worst losing streak of any Gator sports program. Former University of Florida player and previous Charlotte coach Amanda Butler was named the new basketball coach on April 13,2007. On March 27,2017, Cameron Newbauer was announced as the 10th head coach of the University of Florida womens basketball program
22.
Florida Gators women's gymnastics
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The Florida Gators womens gymnastics team represents the University of Florida in the sport of gymnastics. The team competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association, the Gators host their home matches in the OConnell Center on the universitys Gainesville, Florida campus, and are currently led by head coach Jenny Rowland. The Gators womens gymnastics program has won nine SEC championships, and four championships, the 1982 AIAW national tournament and the 2013,2014. The University of Florida first fielded a varsity gymnastics team in the fall of 1973. Gymnastics was one of the first womens sports added at the University of Florida, since the NCAA assumed sponsorship for womens sports championships in 1982, Florida has advanced to the NCAA championships every year but one. The Gators have advanced to the Super Six finals of the NCAA championships nineteen times, Florida has finished twice as runner-up and won NCAA championships in 2013,2014, and 2015. Ernestine Weaver was the coach of the Gators gymnastics program from 1980 to 1992 and was responsible for much of the teams early success in AIAW, NCAA. The 2014 NCAA championship team scored the highest total ever at an NCAA championship with a 198.175, Faehns Gators won nine individual national championships. After Faehns resignation following the 2015 national championship, Florida hired Auburn assistant Jenny Rowland to be the new head coach, in Jennys first year as head coach she led the Gators to their 10th SEC title and fourth in seven years. Second-team All-American honors are designated with an asterisk
23.
Florida Gators women's volleyball
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The Florida Gators womens volleyball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of volleyball. The Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association, the Gators play their home matches in the OConnell Center on the universitys Gainesville, Florida campus, and are currently led by head coach Mary Wise. The University of Floridas athletic department, the University Athletic Association, Marilyn McReavy was the Gators first head coach, and she led the Gators volleyball team for seven seasons from 1984 to 1990. McReavys Gators compiled an overall record of 156–100, and an Southeastern Conference record of 26–20. Her best SEC finish was second place in 1988, and her 1987 team was the one that qualified for the NCAA tournament. McReavy resigned after a 15–16 performance in 1990, Coach Mary Wise was hired to replace Marilyn McReavy in 1991. In their first year under Wise, the Gators won the SEC regular season championship, in 1992, Florida made its first ever NCAA Final Four appearance, where they lost in the semifinals to eventual national runner-up UCLA 15–12, 15–12, 15–10. In 1993, Wise became the first Division I female head coach to guide her team to more than one final four, in 1996, the Gators made their trip to their third final four in five years, losing to Hawaiʻi in the semifinals. Wise was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I National Coach of the Year, in 1997, the Gators appeared in the final four once again, being swept by Penn State in the semifinals. The roster consisted of a squad, only have three seniors on the team. The Gators made their third final four in 1998, where they again lost in the semifinals, to eventual national champion and undefeated Long Beach State, 15–2, 15–8. After being 0-for-6 in previous NCAA Final Four semifinals, Florida broke through in 2003, by defeating Hawaii in the semis, 30–28, 30–28, 23–30, 30–28. Appearing in their first NCAA title match in history, the Gators lost to undefeated Southern California in four sets, 25–30, 30–27, 30–19. Wise became the first Division I female coach to coach in a championship match, in addition, Florida set a then-NCAA record of 105 straight games won during the 2003 season. Florida has 12 players selected SEC player of the year for a total of 18 awards, Florida has 5 recipients of the Freshman of the Year award. Florida has 1 recipient of the Libero of the Year award, the award for Libero of the Year began in 2009. Florida has 1 recipient of the Coach of the Year award for a total of 11 awards, Florida has 3 recipients of the Scholar Athlete of the Year award. The award for Scholar Athlete of the Year began in 2003 Florida has 1 recipient of the Defensive Player of the Year award
24.
Florida Gators baseball
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The Florida Gators baseball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of baseball. The Florida Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association, and they play their home games in Alfred A. McKethan Stadium on the universitys Gainesville, Florida campus, and are currently led by head coach Kevin OSullivan. In the ninety-eight season history of the Gators baseball program, the team has won thirteen SEC championships and has appeared in nine College World Series tournaments, the university fielded its first varsity baseball team, and enjoyed its first winning baseball season, in 1912. The modern post-war era of the Florida Gators baseball program began with head coach Dave Fuller assuming control in 1948, Fuller was originally hired as a physical education instructor in 1946, and also served as an assistant football coach under four different Gators head coaches. Ultimately, he became the longest-serving Gators head coach in any sport, Fuller brought stability and consistency to the program, and his Gators teams won SEC championships in 1952,1956 and 1962, and made appearances in the NCAA tournament in 1958,1960 and 1962. Fullers successor, Jay Bergman, advanced the Gators baseball program a step further, after a difficult transition season in 1976, Bergmans Gators showed marked improvement, winning an SEC championship and SEC tournament title in 1981. Joe Arnold followed Jack Rhines short two-season stint as the Gators head coach, arnolds Gators won SEC championships in 1984 and 1988, and SEC tournament titles in 1984,1988 and 1991. His teams made seven appearances in the NCAA tournament, and for the first and second time ever, in eleven seasons coaching the Gators, Arnold compiled an overall record of 434–244–2. Andy Lopez took over the program in 1995, two removed from leading the Pepperdine Waves of Pepperdine University to their only national championship in the 1992 College World Series. In his second season as the Gators head coach in 1996, he led the Gators to a fifty-win season, in 2000 and 2001, however, the Gators were eliminated in the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament, and Lopez was replaced. In seven seasons, Lopez posted a record of 278–159–1. Pat McMahon became the Gators head baseball coach in 2001, after coaching the Mississippi State Bulldogs for the four preceding seasons, early in the 2003 season, the Gators began to make a comeback with several freshly scouted prospects, including Andy Ramirez David Headage, and Randy Thompson. The 2003 season set the standard for the two years of baseball, entering the NCAA tournament in both the 2003 and 2004 seasons. The expectations for the Gators were high in 2006, they were the consensus No.1 team in the preseason polls, the Gators found themselves one game under.500 heading into their final series against the LSU Tigers in Gainesville. The team surprisingly won two of the three games to finish the season at.500, the Gators 10–20 SEC record was the second worst in the conference, and they did not qualify for the SEC Tournament, nor were they selected for the NCAA Regionals. After missing the NCAA Regionals again in 2007, McMahon was fired on June 7,2007, McMahon finished his six seasons as the Gators head coach with an overall record of 202–113–1. Kevin OSullivan became the coach of the Florida Gators baseball team following the 2007 season. In each of his four seasons, OSullivans Gators have improved their overall record, in 2008, his first season as the Gators skipper, the team finished 34–24 overall, 17–13 in SEC play, and in second place in the SEC Eastern Division standings
25.
Ben Hill Griffin Jr.
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Ben Hill Griffin Jr. was a prominent American businessman, citrus grower, politician and philanthropist who was a native and resident of Florida. Griffin was an alumnus of the University of Florida, a legislator, a one-time candidate for governor. Several of Griffins grandchildren remain active in Florida politics, Griffin is the subject of the final chapter of John McPhees work of creative nonfiction Oranges. Griffin was born during a hurricane in the town of Tiger Bay, near Fort Meade. He attended Frostproof High School in Frostproof, Florida, where he was responsible for starting the school football program in 1929. After graduating from school, Griffin studied economics, marketing and agriculture at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. In 1933, Griffin left the University of Florida after three years earning a degree to find a job during the Great Depression. In 1961, Griffin was named to the board of directors of Atlantic Land & Improvement Company, Inc. the land-holding subsidiary of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and commonly known as Alico. Alico, Inc. became a publicly traded corporation engaged in fruit, sugarcane and sod production, cattle ranching. Griffin acquired a majority of the stock of Alico in 1972. Griffin was also executive officer of Ben Hill Griffin, Inc. a family-owned business with citrus. In 1989, the year before his death, he was ranked 261st on the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans. Griffin, a conservative Democrat, was a member of the Florida Legislature for twelve years in the Florida Senate. In 1974, he lost the Democratic Party primary race for Governor of Florida to Reubin Askew, in 1989, Florida Field, the universitys football stadium, was officially renamed Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field. Floyd Hall, one of the universitys academic buildings, was restored due in part to Griffins donations and was renamed Griffin-Floyd Hall upon its reopening in 1992. For his support of the Florida Gators sports programs, Griffin was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a letter winner in 1982. Alico Arena, FGCUs indoor sports arena, is named for the company, the elementary school in his hometown of Frostproof is also named for Griffin. When Griffin died in 1990, he was survived by his wife Eleanor, a son, four daughters, and one of FGCUs primary academic buildings, Griffin Hall, is named for him
26.
Steve Spurrier
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Stephen Orr Spurrier is a former American football player and coach. Spurrier served as the coach of three college and two professional teams. He was also a college football player, and spent a decade playing professionally in the National Football League. Spurrier retired from coaching in 2015 and now serves as an ambassador and he is nicknamed the Head Ball Coach. Spurrier was born in Miami Beach, Florida and grew up in Tennessee and he is a graduate of the University of Florida, where he was the Florida Gators starting quarterback for three seasons. Spurrier won the Heisman Trophy in his season of 1966, was a consensus All-American in both 1965 and 1966, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1986. Spurrier was drafted in the first round of the 1967 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, in 1976, the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded for Spurrier, and he was the teams starting quarterback for most of their inaugural season. After retiring as a player, Spurrier returned to the game in 1978 as an offensive assistant at Florida under head coach Doug Dickey. Dickey and his staff were fired after the season, and Spurrier served as the quarterbacks coach at Georgia Tech in 1979 under head coach Pepper Rodgers. At his first two coaching stops, Spurrier had been primarily a position coach without play calling responsibilities, in 1980, Duke University head coach Red Wilson hired Spurrier as his offensive coordinator. When asked in later years how he developed his offense, Spurrier has often stated that he learned it all at Duke University, the Bandits had a successful run, going 35-19 over three seasons, and Spurriers Bandit Ball offense was popular with fans. However, the team folded along with the rest of the USFL after the 1985 season, Spurrier returned to Duke University as the Blue Devils head coach in 1987, and his Fast Break offense broke many of the records set during his tenure as offensive coordinator. Spurriers 1989 Duke squad won the programs first conference championship since 1962, in 1990, Spurrier returned to the University of Florida to become the Gators head coach. For the next seasons, he led Floridas program to unprecedented success, including Floridas first six Southeastern Conference championships. His wide-open offensive scheme continued to produce at Florida, and his squads and individual players set numerous school, in 1996, Spurrier became the first Heisman Trophy winner to coach a Heisman Trophy winner when Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel won the award. In 2005, he returned to the game as the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks. Spurrier retired as the winningest coach in both Florida and South Carolina history, and has the second most coaching wins in the history of the SEC behind only Bear Bryant. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2017, in July 2016, Spurrier returned to the University of Florida as an ambassador and consultant to the athletic department
27.
Jeremy Foley
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Jeremy N. Foley is an American university sports administrator and former college athlete. Foley was born in Washington, D. C. in 1952 and he graduated from the Holderness School in New Hampshire in 1970. He attended Hobart College in Geneva, New York, where he played football and lacrosse, in 1976, he completed a masters degree in sports administration from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. When his internship ended, Foley was hired as an employee and was soon promoted to ticket manager. Two years later he was named director of ticket and game operations, after just one additional year, he became an assistant athletic director and spent the next twelve years learning every facet of Gators athletics. From 1981 to 1986, Foley was the athletic director for business affairs. Bill Carr was appointed Floridas athletic director in 1979 at age 33, when Carr left in 1986, Jeremy Foley was named the interim athletic director. The athletic director search committee selected an older, more experienced candidate when it recommended the hiring of Bill Arnsparger in 1987, Foley was disappointed not to have been selected, but accepted the position of senior associate athletic director. Arnsparger resigned in 1992, and at age 39, Foley was named the Florida athletic director, the sports program has finished as the top-ranked overall program in the Southeastern Conference in all but one year under his tenure. University of Florida President Bernie Machen said Jeremys contract is what you would expect for the best athletic director in the nation, Jeremy Foleys tenure as Floridas athletic director has generally been considered successful by Gator alumni and supporters. He is most notably credited for his hiring of Meyer and Donovan who have won championships at Florida in the two most popular intercollegiate sports. Foleys successful hires also include Becky Burleigh and, more recently, though he demonstrates a fierce loyalty to coaches who bring success to Florida, Foley also proved willing to remove unsuccessful coaches when he became convinced a change was necessary. Foley personally attends many athletic competitions for all sports on campus, one of Foleys responsibilities as Florida athletic director is to act as chief financial officer for the University Athletic Association. Jeremy Foley manages a budget of more than $89 million. The national average for student-athlete graduation is around 76 percent, he said, at UF,92 percent of student-athletes graduate. Foley is an ardent runner who has competed in the Boston Marathon, in addition to being a member of the UAA board of directors, Foley also serves on the board of directors for Gator Boosters, Inc. In 1995, Foley was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Sports Administration, the UF Alumni Association Board of Directors named Foley an Honorary Alumnus in October 2000. From 1997-2002, Foley served on the NCAA Division I Management Council, in June 2006, Street & Smith named Foley as its SportsBusiness Journal National Athletics Director of the Year
28.
History of the University of Florida
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The history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida originated as several institutions that were consolidated to create a single state-supported university by the Buckman Act of 1905. The earliest of these was the East Florida Seminary, one of two seminaries of learning established by the Florida Legislature. The East Florida Seminary opened in 1853, becoming the first state-supported institution of learning in the state of Florida. The East Florida Seminary operated in Ocala until the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 and it closed for the duration of the war, and reopened in Gainesville in 1866, absorbing the Gainesville Academy. The other primary predecessor to the University of Florida was the Florida Agricultural College, Florida Agricultural College became the first land-grant college in the state, and the small college emphasized the scientific training of agricultural and mechanical specialists. In 1905 the Buckman Act restructured higher education in Florida, the school began accepting some white women starting in 1924, and became fully coeducational as a result of the influx of new students brought in by the GI Bill after World War II. It became racially integrated in 1958, into the 21st century the school grew substantially in size and increased in academic prominence, becoming a member of the Association of American Universities in 1985. It is now known as The University of Florida, in 1823, the Florida Territorial Legislature and the United States Congress began to plan a system of higher education for Florida. It was not until the 1850s, however, that the Florida Legislature took steps towards implementing these plans, in 1851, the legislature voted to allow the establishment of two seminaries on either side of the Suwannee River, West Florida Seminary and East Florida Seminary. The latter became the first of the institutions that were merged to create what is now known as the University of Florida. On January 6,1853, Florida governor Thomas Brown signed the legislation that provided support for the seminaries. Gilbert Kingsbury was the first person to state support under the legislation. This was the first state-supported institution of learning in the state of Florida. The seminary closed in 1861 due to the Civil War, roper had founded the Academy in downtown Gainesville in 1858. The state accepted his offer, and parts of the campus would be incorporated into the campus of the future University of Florida. Epworth Hall, the building of the East Florida Seminary, still stands in downtown Gainesville. In 1884, Jordan Probst established what became the major predecessor to the University of Florida, Florida Agricultural College
29.
Florida Gators track and field
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The Florida Gators track and field program represents the University of Florida in the sport of track and field. The program includes mens and womens teams, both of which compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Southeastern Conference. The Gators host their home meets in the Stephen C. OConnell Center and their home meets at Percy Beard Track. The Gators track teams are led by head coach Mike Holloway. The Florida Gators mens track and field team was organized in 1923, the University of Florida joined the Southeastern Conference in December 1932, and the Gators track team began to compete in the SEC in the spring of 1933. Historically, the Gators have been a force in the SEC, the Gators men have won four SEC outdoor championships, and six indoor championships. The Gators women have won five SEC outdoor championships, and six indoor championships, beards successor, Jimmy Carnes, coached the Gators from the early 1960s until 1976, and accounted for the Gators first two SEC indoor team championships. Carnes was chosen to be the coach of the U. S. Olympic track and field team in 1980. In 2009, the team won the SEC outdoor championship. In 2010, the teams won both the NCAA Mens Indoor Track and Field Championship and the SEC mens outdoor championship. The 2010 womens team placed second in the SEC outdoor meet, the Gators mens team won their second consecutive NCAA Mens Indoor Track and Field Championship in 2011, following their sixth SEC indoor championship. At the 2011 SEC outdoor track tournament, the Gators men and womens teams both placed second of twelve SEC teams in the 2011 conference track meet held in Athens and they proceeded to win their second and third outdoor championships in 2013 and 2016. The Gators current head coach for both the mens and womens track and field teams is Mike Holloway, following the Gators 2010 NCAA indoor track and field championship, Holloway was named the 2010 indoor track and field coach of the year. The associate head coach and assistant coach for throwing is Steve Lemke, the assistant coach for cross country and distance running is Paul Spangler. The assistant coach for hurdles and sprints is Erin Tucker, the assistant coach for horizontal jumps and pole vault is Nic Petersen
30.
1911 Florida Gators football team
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The 1911 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1911 college football season. The season was George Pyles third as the coach of the University of Florida football team. The University of Florida adopted the Florida Gators nickname for its sports teams in 1911, Pyles newly christened Florida Gators finished their sixth varsity football season 5–0–1—the first, and to date, the only undefeated season in the history of the Florida Gators football program. It was a year in the growth of the young Florida football program. The team was captained by Neal Bo Gator Storter, the team was also the first to use the nickname Gators. He is as one reason given for the nickname. A former player Roy Corbett sent a letter to The Gainesville Sun congratulating the 1928 team, carl Van Nesss research also posits Storter as the names origin. Primary source,2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, the season opened with a 15–3 victory over The Citadel Bulldogs at the first game on University Field. In the second week of play, Florida fought the South Carolina Gamecocks to a 6–6 tie, earle Taylor scored in the first quarter and the Gamecocks matched in the second. The starting lineup was Swanson, Coarsey, Lawler, Storter, Hancock, Bullock, Buie, Shackleford, Davis, Taylor, Florida upset the Clemson Tigers by a single point, 6–5, in the two schools first-ever meeting. The game as a whole, was an exhibition of football. Clemson scored in the first six minutes when Webb took it over, towards the end of the fourth quarter, the Gators Dummy Taylor picked up a fumble and ran 45 yards for a touchdown, and then kicked the extra point to win. Norm Carlson called it Floridas first road win against a quality college opponent, on the winning extra point, the holder Sam Buie recalled Doc Walker of Jacksonville bet Captain Hill of Georgia Tech, the referee, that Dummy would make it. They bet, and Dummy kicked it and it was on the South Carolina trip that the Florida team was dubbed the ‘Alligators, ’ and the battle that took place. between the Clemson Tigers and the Florida Alligators is one long to be remembered. The starting lineup was Bonus, Bullock, Wilson, Storter, Baker, Hancock, Buie, Shackleford, Davis, Taylor, the starting lineup was Buie, Hancock, Wilson, Storter, Aker, Coarsey, Swanson, Shackleford, Gavis, Taylor, Tenney. The Stetson Weekly Collegiate called it the greatest football game played in the state of Florida. Taylor drop kicked a 45-yard field goal and ran for two touchdowns, the starting lineup was Swanson, Coarsey, Baker, Storter, Wilson, Bullock, Buie, Shackleford, Tenney, Taylor, Pound. Florida closed the season with a 21–0 defeat of Charleston, Florida should have made at least three more touchdowns
31.
Francis P. Fleming
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Francis Philip Fleming was an American politician and the 15th Governor of Florida from 1889 to 1893. Fleming was a Democrat, strong supporter of segregation and an opponent of civil rights for blacks, Fleming was a Confederate soldier and lawyer before he became governor. Fleming was born in Panama Park in Duval County, Florida and he spent his early years with his parents, Lewis Fleming and his second wife Margaret Seton, on their St. Johns River plantation, Hibernia. After being wounded, Fleming returned to Florida and actively enlisted new volunteers, by the end of the war, Fleming had served under four generals, John Magruder, Joseph Johnston, John Bell Hood, and Robert E. Lee. After the war, Francis Fleming studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1868, becoming a partner in the firm of Fleming and Daniel, in 1871, he married Floride Lydia Pearson, the daughter of Florida Supreme Court justice Bird M. Pearson. Together the couple had three children, Francis Philip Jr. Elizabeth Fleming, and Charles Seton, Francis P. Fleming authored a book memorializing his brother, titled The Florida Troops/A Memoir of Captain C. Originally published by Times-Union Publishing House, Jacksonville, Florida,1884, Fleming later entered politics, and became the fifteenth Governor of Florida on January 8,1889, serving until January 3,1893, the sole term provided by state law at that time. Fleming, a segregationist, Southern nationalist, and partisan Democrat, sought to limit the power of the carpetbagger-, Fleming signed into law restrictive poll taxes and literacy tests designed to limit the voting rights of blacks and carpetbaggers not protected by the grandfather clause. Fleming also removed from office Floridas only black judge, James Dean of Monroe County, because he had married a man to a black woman. Fleming later advocated adding a red saltire, or diagonal cross, to the Florida flag and this proposal was adopted in 1900 by a statewide referendum. Fleming also began the tradition of having a portrait painted. After he left office, Fleming served on the board of trustees of the new Florida Old Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Home, on December 20,1908, Fleming died following a long illness. He is buried at the Old City Cemetery in Jacksonville, Francis P. Fleming was the son Lewis Fleming and his second wife, Margaret Seton. Fleming Island, Florida (an un-incorporated community in between Orange Park and Green Cove Springs in Clay County, Florida was part of the Fleming familys Spanish Land Grants, the area has since retained the name Fleming Island. The former governor and his wife, Floride, are buried in The Old City Cemetery, Jacksonville, the venue was replaced by much larger Florida Field in 1930, but the grassy area to the north of the current stadium is still known as Fleming Field. Fleming Biography Biography from Florida Department of State, Office of Cultural and Historical Programs Buccellato,2015 Fleming Family Letters A collection of 113 letters and other writings of Francis P. Fleming and the Fleming Family from 1879 to 1930. Compiled by the University of North Florida, Francis P. Fleming at Find a Grave
32.
Gator Bowl Stadium
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The Gator Bowl was an American football stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The old stadium and its replacement have hosted the Gator Bowl, Jacksonvilles first football venue was built in 1927 and 1928 with a seating capacity of 7,600. Known as Fairfield Stadium, its purpose was to serve as home field for Jacksonvilles three new high schools—Lee, Jackson and Landon. At the opening of the stadium, Florida Governor John W. Martin called the stadium the best place in Florida to watch a football game, on January 1,1946, the stadium received national attention when it hosted the first Gator Bowl game. The stadium was expanded to 16,000 seats in 1948, prior to the 1949 game, the seating capacity was expanded to 36,058, at which it remained until 1957. It was home to the World Football Leagues Jacksonville Sharks in 1974 and it was the home of a North American Soccer League team, the Jacksonville Tea Men from 1981 to 1982 and then a United States Football League team, the Jacksonville Bulls from 1984 to 1985. The stadium was the site of the Gator Bowl from 1949 to 1993 and it also hosted the annual Florida–Georgia game between the University of Georgia and the University of Florida college football teams from 1933 to 1993. The Gator Bowl hosted the 1968 and 1969 AFL All-Star Games, the Beatles played a concert at the Gator Bowl on their first American Tour on September 11,1964. When the Beatles found out that the concert was going to be segregated, they refused to play there unless they allowed the audience to be desegregated. Paul McCartney went on record about their disapproval of the situation, John Lennon said, We never play to segregated audiences and we arent going to start now. Id sooner lose our appearance money, city officials relented, allowing the stadium to be integrated, and the band played to a desegregated audience. The concert was held the day after Hurricane Dora struck St. Augustine, most of Jacksonville was without electricity and power was not restored for several days. Despite the hurricane,23,000 fans attended, paying $4, during the concert, Ringo Starrs drums were nailed to the stage because of 45 mph winds. The historic structure was almost entirely razed in 1994, as part of a remodeling effort which essentially built a new stadium. The new stadium was renamed Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, almost none of the original infrastructure remains, except for the west upper deck and the ramping system. The game resumed the following year in Jacksonville
33.
John J. Tigert
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John James Tigert, IV was an American university president, university professor and administrator, college sports coach and the U. S. Tigert was a native of Tennessee and the son and grandson of Methodist bishops, after receiving his bachelors degree, he earned his masters degree as a Rhodes Scholar. Tigert gained his greatest national prominence as the U. S, commissioner of Education from 1921 to 1928, and the third president of the University of Florida, from 1928 to 1947. He is remembered as an advocate for American public education, intercollegiate sports. Tigert was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1882, the son of a Methodist Episcopal minister, John James Tigert, III. Tigert received his education in the public schools of Kansas City, Missouri, and Nashville. He was admitted to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and his time at Vanderbilt overlaps with Grantland Rice. As a senior, Tigert was honored as an All-Southern halfback for the Vanderbilt Commodores football team, in his final game, he scored the first points netted all season against rival Sewanee. That same year, he married the former Edith Jackson Bristol and he later received an appointment as a professor of psychology and philosophy at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. He was perhaps best known for his work on psychology in advertising, president Warren G. Harding appointed Tigert as the U. S. Commissioner of Education in 1921, and he served for seven years during the administrations of Harding, in particular, he took an interest in rural education, and advocated innovative ways to impart public education to a wider audience, including the use of radio. During his time in Washington, D. C. he also served a term as the president of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. The Florida Board of Control selected Tigert as the president of the University of Florida in Gainesville. He assumed leadership of the university during a period of economic crisis in the state of Florida. The common thread of the nineteen years of Tigerts administration was doing more with less, faculty salary cuts were common, Tigert himself never drew his full authorized annual salary of $10,000. Among Tigerts many significant reforms, he decentralized the university budget to the level of the academic colleges. The University Council, composed of the president, the registrar, Tigert also established the faculty senate, the Institute of Inter-American Affairs and the Bureau of Economic and Business Research. One of his most influential reforms as president was the founding of the new University College as a division within the University of Florida in 1935
34.
Great Depression
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The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place during the 1930s. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, in most countries it started in 1929 and it was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Great Depression is commonly used as an example of how far the economy can decline. The depression originated in the United States, after a fall in stock prices that began around September 4,1929. Between 1929 and 1932, worldwide GDP fell by an estimated 15%, by comparison, worldwide GDP fell by less than 1% from 2008 to 2009 during the Great Recession. Some economies started to recover by the mid-1930s, however, in many countries, the negative effects of the Great Depression lasted until the beginning of World War II. The Great Depression had devastating effects in both rich and poor. Personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped, while international trade plunged by more than 50%, unemployment in the U. S. rose to 25% and in some countries rose as high as 33%. Cities all around the world were hit hard, especially dependent on heavy industry. Construction was virtually halted in many countries, farming communities and rural areas suffered as crop prices fell by about 60%. Facing plummeting demand with few sources of jobs, areas dependent on primary sector industries such as mining and logging suffered the most. Even after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 optimism persisted for some time, john D. Rockefeller said These are days when many are discouraged. In the 93 years of my life, depressions have come, prosperity has always returned and will again. The stock market turned upward in early 1930, returning to early 1929 levels by April and this was still almost 30% below the peak of September 1929. Together, government and business spent more in the first half of 1930 than in the period of the previous year. On the other hand, consumers, many of whom had suffered losses in the stock market the previous year. In addition, beginning in the mid-1930s, a severe drought ravaged the agricultural heartland of the U. S, by mid-1930, interest rates had dropped to low levels, but expected deflation and the continuing reluctance of people to borrow meant that consumer spending and investment were depressed. By May 1930, automobile sales had declined to below the levels of 1928, prices in general began to decline, although wages held steady in 1930
35.
Alabama Crimson Tide football
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The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the team is currently coached by Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide is among the most storied and decorated football programs in NCAA history, since beginning play in 1892, the program claims 16 national championships, including 11 wire-service national titles in the poll-era, and five other titles before the poll-era. From 1958 to 1982, the team was led by Hall of Fame coach Paul Bear Bryant, despite numerous national and conference championships, it was not until 2009 that an Alabama player received a Heisman Trophy, when running back Mark Ingram became the universitys first winner. In 2015, Derrick Henry became the universitys second Heisman winner, Alabama has 878 official victories in NCAA Division I, has won 30 conference championships and has made an NCAA-record 64 postseason bowl appearances. Other NCAA records include 23 winning streaks of 10 games or more and 19 seasons with a 10–0 start, the program has 34 seasons with 10 wins or more, and has 37 bowl victories, both NCAA records. Alabama has completed 10 undefeated seasons,9 of which were perfect seasons, the Crimson Tide leads the SEC West Division with 12 division titles and 11 appearances in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama holds a record against every current and former SEC school. The Associated Press ranks Alabama 4th in all-time final AP Poll appearances, Alabama plays its home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium, located on the campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. With a capacity of 101,821, Bryant-Denny is the 8th largest non-racing stadium in the world, Alabama has had 28 head coaches since organized football began in 1892. Adopting the nickname Crimson Tide after the 1907 season, the team has played more than 1,100 games in their 114 seasons, in that time,12 coaches have led the Crimson Tide in postseason bowl games, Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, Harold D. Red Drew, Bear Bryant, Ray Perkins, Bill Curry, Gene Stallings, Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Shula, Joe Kines, and Nick Saban. Eight of those coaches also won championships, Wade, Thomas, Drew, Bryant, Curry, Stallings, DuBose. During their tenures, Wade, Thomas, Bryant, Stallings, of the 27 different head coaches who have led the Crimson Tide, Wade, Thomas, Bryant, and Stallings have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. The current head coach is Nick Saban, who was hired in January 2007, National championships in NCAA FBS college football are debated as the NCAA does not officially award the championship. Despite not naming an official National Champion, the NCAA provides lists of championships awarded by organizations it recognizes, beginning in 1936, the Associated Press began the best-known and most widely circulated poll of sportswriters and broadcasters. Before 1936, national champions were determined by research and retroactive ratings. The criteria for being included in this historical list of poll selectors is that the poll be national in scope, either through distribution in newspaper, television, since World War II, Alabama only claims national championships awarded by the final AP Poll or the final Coaches Poll
36.
Southern Conference
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The Southern Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision, member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The Southern Conference ranks as the fifth-oldest major college conference in the United States. Among conferences currently in operation, the Big Ten and Missouri Valley are indisputably older, the Pac-12 Conference did not operate under its current charter until 1959, but claims the history of the Pacific Coast Conference, founded in 1915, as its own. The Southwest Conference was founded in 1914, but ceased operation in 1996 once the Big 12 Conference began play, the Southern Conference is considered one of the stronger football conferences in the Football Championship Subdivision and is considered a mid-major conference in basketball. In 2015, Furman defeated UCF 16–15 and The Citadel topped South Carolina 23–22 for their win over the Gamecocks in the past three meetings. The SoCon also frequently sees multiple teams selected to participate in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, talks of a new conference for southern athletics had started as early as fall of 1920. The conference was formed on February 25,1921 in Atlanta as fourteen member institutions split from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, in 1922, six more universities – Florida, LSU, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tulane, and Vanderbilt joined the conference. The first year of competition for the conference was in 1922, the new rules banned freshman play. Later additions included Sewanee, Virginia Military Institute, and Duke, the SoCon is particularly notable for having spawned two other major conferences. In 1932, the 13 schools located south and west of the Appalachians all departed the SoCon to form the Southeastern Conference, in 1953, seven additional schools withdrew from the SoCon to form the Atlantic Coast Conference. The SoCon became the first league to hold a basketball tournament to decide a conference champion. Although first played in 1921, it did not become official until 1922, held at the Municipal Auditorium in Atlanta from February 24 – March 2,1922, the first meeting was won by North Carolina who defeated non-member Mercer in the Finals 40-25. The SoCon Basketball Tournament continues as the nations oldest conference tournament, the next-oldest tournament overall is the SEC Mens Basketball Tournament, founded in 1933, but that event was suspended after its 1952 edition and did not resume until 1979. The all-sports membership changed to 10 schools in 2014 following the departure of Appalachian State, Davidson, Elon, and Georgia Southern, plus the arrival of East Tennessee State, Mercer, the current football membership stands at nine. UNC Greensboro does not sponsor football, while ETSU, which relaunched its previously dormant football program in 2015, on January 9,2014, the SoCon and Atlantic Sun Conference announced a new alliance in lacrosse that took effect with the 2014–15 school year. Under its terms, sponsorship of mens lacrosse shifted from the ASUN to the SoCon, bellarmine, which had announced it would join the ASUN for mens lacrosse for the 2015 season, instead joined the SoCon. The most recent additions to the associate membership came with the start of the 2016–17 school year, Full members Full members Other Conference Other Conference Due to space limitations, one portion of Washington and Lees affiliation history is not indicated in the table
37.
Bleacher
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In the United States, bleachers or stands are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports fields and other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the rows of seats, often with every other step gaining access to a row of benches. Benches range from simple planks to elaborate ones with backrests, many bleachers are open to the ground below so that there are only the planks to sit and walk on. Some bleachers have vertical panels beneath the benches, either partially or completely blocking the way to the ground, the term bleachers used in this sense can be traced back to at least 1889. The Dickson Baseball Dictionary states that the seating area was called the bleaching boards. Dickson lists as a secondary definition the fans sitting in them, by the early 1900s, the term bleachers was being used for both the seating area and its occupants. In modern usage the term bleachers almost always only to the seating area. Terms such as Chicagos bleacher bums, or Yankee Stadiums Bleacher Creatures are also used, Bleacher structures vary depending on the location, but most outdoor modern bleachers have either an aluminium tube or steel angle understructure or steel I-beams. Most smaller bleachers are frame-type bleachers and most larger bleachers are I-Beam bleachers, bleachers range in size from small, modular, aluminum stands that can be moved around soccer or hockey fields to large permanent structures that flank each side of an American football field. Some bleachers have locker rooms underneath them, in indoor gyms, bleachers can be built in so that they slide on a track or on wheels and fold in an accordion-like, stacking manner. These type of bleachers are known as telescoping bleachers, in baseball stadiums, the bleachers are usually located beyond the outfield fences. However, center-field bleachers are located in the line of sight of the batter, as a result, most stadiums have vacant areas or black backgrounds where the seats would be. This is known as either the Backdrop or the Batters eye, the old Yankee Stadium featured black-painted vacant bleachers, nicknamed the black by baseball fans. The popularity of American football has made seating on outdoor and indoor football fields a necessity, professional football, colleges, high schools, and even middle schools have bleacher systems set up to accommodate their fans. They vary in size from 10 feet wide that seat 25 all the way to full stadiums that seat thousands and it is not uncommon to see football bleachers that rise hundreds of feet into the air. American Football bleachers are commonly made from concrete or aluminum with concrete footings or superstructure underneath, all-seater Mobile bleacher Grandstand Terrace The gods Nosebleed seats Nussli Group, Various Grandstand and Bleacher Systems Euro Group UK explanation of different types of bleacher seating
38.
The Citadel Bulldogs football
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The Citadel Bulldogs Football represent The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I FCS. The Bulldogs play in the Southern Conference, as they have since 1936, the Bulldogs are coached by Brent Thompson, who was hired on January 19,2016 to replace Mike Houston, who departed on January 18,2016 for James Madison. The Bulldogs first recorded stadium was College Park, located in the northeast corner of Hampton Park in Charleston and this field predated the current College Park at the same site, which is used as a practice facility for The Citadel Bulldogs baseball. Due to increasing attendance and the state of the stadium. This stadium was replaced with the current Johnson Hagood Stadium in 1948, the Bulldogs play their home games in Johnson Hagood Stadium, which lies just to the south of The Citadels gates in Charleston. Johnson Hagood is a 21,000 seat stadium, in which The Citadel routinely ranks in the top 25 in attendance at the FCS level. In 2001, the Altman Athletic Center opened in the end zone, complete with new home and visitors locker rooms, officials locker rooms. In 2008, The Citadel completed a re-construction of the west stands, the stands contain reserved premium seats and bleacher seats, while the tower, shared with the South Carolina National Guard, contains twelve suites, a club level, and state of the art press box. During preparation for construction, workers discovered the remains of sailors from failed test runs of the H. L. Hunley and these remains were reinterred in Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston. Beginning in 2012, The Citadel implemented a system for parking and seat selection in Johnson Hagood Stadium. The program is designed to reward long-time and large donors to The Citadel athletics by giving them preference in selecting seat, in 2016, The Citadel determined that lead paint needed remediation on the east side of the stadium. The work resulted in the entire east side being closed for the first game of the 2016 season, the capacity was thus 10,500 for the first game and about 15,000 for later games. The Board of Visitors decided to renovate the east side of the stadium. Practices are held at the Maybank Triplets Practice Facility, a turf field at the north edge of campus. The Bulldogs utilize Seignious Hall, located across from McAlister Field House for weightlifting, locker rooms, team meeting and video space, the Citadel Sports Medicine Department also utilizes Seignious Hall. Coaches from The Citadel have often targeted for larger programs. Notable former head and assistant coaches at The Citadel include Bobby Ross, Charlie Taaffe, Ellis Johnson, Frank Beamer, Al Davis, head Coaches The current coaching staff at the Citadel is, The Citadel has claimed 4 championships in the Southern Conference. The 2015 title was the first co-championship in school history,1961199220152016 Following the 1960 season, the Bulldogs played in the 1960 Tangerine Bowl defeating Tennessee Tech 27-0
39.
Luxury box
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Luxury boxes and club seating constitute the most exclusive class of seating in arenas and stadiums, and generate much higher revenues than regular seating. A Luxury box is a special seating section located within stadiums, arenas and other sporting. They are typically located in the midsection of a stadium grandstand, some have glass panels that can be opened, in order for the spectators to feel closer to and more immersed in the action of the event. The inside of a luxury box typically includes a bar, televisions, a seating area. The boxes are usually catered, with guests enjoying corporate hospitality, with champagne, canapés, shrimp, the lease to a box usually comes with allocated parking spaces at the venue and access is usually provided with separate entrances, away from the general public gates. Luxury boxes are a significant source of revenue for most professional sports teams, while originally widespread among North American major pro sports, this trend is also gaining popularity in Europe. For instance, Emirates Stadiums revenue from premium seating and corporate boxes alone is nearly as high as the revenue from Arsenal F. C. s previous stadium at Highbury. Most luxury boxes are leased by contract on a yearly basis and these methods usually grant access to the box by the leaseholder or owner for every event held at the venue. A few venues rent them on a per-event basis, prices vary from US$5,000 up to the millions of dollars depending on the venue and events held there. Luxury boxes that are rented on an event basis can range from US$500 for low-key events to up to at least US$250,000 for high-end events such as sporting final matches. Also, the location of the box and how many people the box can hold usually makes up the price, standing room tickets may also be purchased at an additional fee but are usually less money than an actual suite ticket. If a normal box ticket with a seat costs US$500 per ticket then standing room tickets might be around US$250–US$300 per ticket. These tickets will allow people in a box, but they wont have seats. Average private box rental prices for events based on location, matchup. Typical luxury boxes for most events fall within the following ranges, The stadium with the most luxury boxes is the Estadio Monumental U in Lima. The first stadium to contain a luxury box was the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway constructed their first luxury boxes in 1973 as part of the existing motel complex on the grounds. One unique set of boxes is located on the campus of Boston College. The schools main indoor arena, Conte Forum, is attached to its football venue
40.
Daytona International Speedway
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Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, in addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, USCC, SCCA, and Motocross. The tracks 180-acre infield includes the 29-acre Lake Lloyd, which has hosted powerboat racing, the speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation. The track was built in 1959 by NASCAR founder William Bill France and his banked design permitted higher speeds and gave fans a better view of the cars. Lights were installed around the track in 1998, and today it is the third-largest single lit outdoor sports facility, the speedway has been renovated three times, with the infield renovated in 2004 and the track repaved in 1978 and 2010. On January 22,2013, the track unveiled artist depictions of a renovated speedway, on July 5,2013, ground was broken on the project that removed backstretch seating and completely redevelop the frontstretch seating. The renovation to the speedway was constructed by Design-Builder Barton Malow Company in partnership with Rossetti Architects, after the renovations were completed, the tracks grandstands include 101,000 permanent seats with the ability to increase permanent seating to 125,000. The project was finished before the start of Speedweeks in 2016, NASCAR founder William France Sr. began planning for the track in 1953 as a way to promote the series, which at the time was racing on the Daytona Beach Road Course. France met with Daytona Beach engineer Charles Moneypenny to discuss his plans for the speedway and he wanted the track to have the highest banking possible to allow the cars to reach high speeds and to give fans a better view of the cars on track. Moneypenny traveled to Detroit, Michigan to visit the Ford Proving Grounds which had a high-speed test track with banked corners, Ford shared their engineering reports of the track with Moneypenny, providing the needed details of how to transition the pavement from a flat straightaway to a banked corner. France took the plans to the Daytona Beach city commission, who supported his idea, the city commission agreed to lease the 447-acre parcel of land adjacent to Daytona Beach Municipal Airport to Frances corporation for $10,000 a year over a 50-year period. France then began working on building funding for the project and found support from a Texas oil millionaire, Murchison loaned France $600,000 along with the construction equipment necessary to build the track. France was also able to secure funding from Pepsi-Cola, General Motors designer Harley Earl, ground broke on construction of the 2. 5-mile speedway on November 25,1957. To build the high banking, crews had to excavate over a million yards of soil from the tracks infield. 22 tons of lime mortar had to be brought in to form the tracks binding base, because of the extreme degree of banking, Moneypenny had to come up with a way to pave the incline. He connected the paving equipment to bulldozers anchored at the top of the banking and this would allow the paving equipment to pave the banking without slipping or rolling down the incline. Moneypenny subsequently patented his method and later designed Talladega Superspeedway. By December 1958, France had begun to run out of money, the first practice run on the new track began on February 6,1959
41.
Daktronics
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The company is known for its electronic LED displays. Daktronics was founded in 1968 by Aelred Kurtenbach and Duane Sander, professors of engineering at South Dakota State University in Brookings. The company began with the design and manufacture of electronic voting systems for state legislatures,1971 Daktronics developed the patented Matside wrestling scoreboard, the first product in the companys line. 1976 Daktronics scoreboards were first used at Olympics, became a publicly traded company, offering shares under the symbol DAKT on the NASDAQ National Market system. 2014 Daktronics installs worlds largest HD display for the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field, Daktronics acquired Keyframe Inc. a video production and consulting company, in 2000. Today, Daktronics Creative Services designs digital content in HD video, 3D animation and motion graphics, specializing in media networks, Daktronics has been supplying scoreboards and video displays for the Olympics for several years. However, the Olympic Games often have contracts with corporations, such as Swiss Timing. Daktronics has been an influence in NBA rule changes in the 2000s, the company manufactured the first backboard light strips to comply with buzzer beater instant replay rulings, and in 2004, developed a see-through shot clock to improve spectator visibility. Aquatic timing system Scoreboard Official website
42.
HOK (firm)
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HOK, formerly Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, is an American worldwide design, architecture, engineering and urban planning firm. As of 2016, HOK is the largest U. S. -based architecture-engineering firm, the firm maintains more than 1,800 professional staff across a global network of 23 offices and is active in all major architectural specialties. Its senior leaders are located in different locations across the world. HOK was established in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1955, the design firm started with 26 employees and its three founders. The practices first building designs were schools in St. Louis suburbs, another prominent school they designed was the Saint Louis Priory School. Also in 1968, HOK launched its interior design practice, HOK also expanded into Washington, DC, after winning the commission to design the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. In 1973, HOK established a presence in New York by acquiring Kahn & Jacobs, in 1979, George Kassabaum was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate Academician. In 1983, HOK formed HOK Sport Venue Event, which became a leader in designing sport stadiums, arenas, in January 2009, the Board of HOK Group, Inc. and managers of HOK Sports Facilities, LLC transferred ownership of HOK Sport to leaders of that practice. The company became an independent firm, and rebranded itself as Populous, HOKs first office outside the United States opened in Hong Kong in 1984. In 1987, the opened a London office and then, in 1995. In November 1994, HOK acquired CRSS Architects, Inc. based in Houston, Texas, adding offices in Houston, HOK established its first offices in Canada in 1997 with the acquisition of Urbana Architects. In 2004, George Hellmuths nephew, William Hellmuth, was named president of the firm, by 2007, international work represented more than 40% of HOKs annual revenue. In 2008, HOK opened an office in Mumbai, India, in 2010, it established an office in Seattle, Washington. In 2012, HOK Chairman Bill Valentine retired after 50 years with the firm, HOK Chief Executive Officer Patrick MacLeamy, FAIA, assumed the role of chairman. In 2013, HOK acquired the New York and Shanghai offices of hospitality design firm BBG-BBGM, bBG-BBGMs office in Washington, D. C. continues to operate as BBGM. In 2014, ORO Editions published “HOK Tall Buildings, ” a 300-page book exploring the design of the contemporary high-rise, the acquisition enabled HOK to launch a new global Sports + Recreation + Entertainment design practice and to open new offices in Kansas City and Columbus, Ohio. In January 2016, HOK announced that Bill Hellmuth, the president, would succeed Patrick MacLeamy as CEO. MacLeamy continued to serve as chairman of HOK, in 1983, HOK introduced HOK Draw, computer-aided drafting software products that specialized in conceptual architectural design
43.
Doug Dickey
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Douglas Adair Dickey is an American former college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, where he played college football. He is best known as the coach of the University of Tennessee and the University of Florida football teams. Dickey was born in Vermillion, South Dakota in 1932, and grew up in Gainesville, Florida, yonge High School in Gainesville, he attended the University of Florida and played for coach Bob Woodruffs Florida Gators football team from 1951 to 1953. Dickey was a walk-on after being encouraged by assistant coach Dave Fuller, as a quarterback Dickey was not a drop-back passer, but a football-savvy game manager, who Woodruff called one of the brainiest quarterbacks I ever saw. In January 1953, Dickey led the Gators to a 14–13 win over the University of Tulsa in the Gator Bowl, while a student at Florida, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. He graduated with a degree in physical education in 1954. After graduating from the University of Florida, Dickey served in the U. S. Army, from 1957 to 1963, he worked as an assistant football coach on the staff of Frank Broyles at the University of Arkansas. Dickey was hired as coach at the University of Tennessee in 1964 by athletic director Bob Woodruff. Many supporters of Tennessee Volunteers football credit Dickey with rejuvenating the program, when Dickey was hired the Volunteers had not won more than six games in a season, nor been to a bowl game, since 1957. Dickey was recognized as Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 1965 and 1967, in his six seasons as head coach, his overall win-loss record at Tennessee was 46–15–4, and the Volunteers received five consecutive bowl invitations. Dickey is credited with starting three Tennessee football traditions that endure today, undeterred, Dickey recruited wide receiver Lester McClain, who was admitted and became the first black Volunteer football player. In 1969, the Volunteers clinched their second SEC championship and were invited to play Florida in the Gator Bowl, rumors swirled that Dickey was planning to return to his alma mater to replace retiring Ray Graves as head coach. Tennessee lost the game 14–13, and Dickey left for Gainesville, Dickey became the head football coach at the University of Florida in 1970. In his nine seasons as the Florida coach, Dickey led the Gators to four appearances. Notably, Dickey gave the Gators former Heisman-winning quarterback Steve Spurrier his first coaching job, as the Gators quarterbacks coach, in 1978. Dickey did not achieve the level of success at Florida that he had at Tennessee. Dickey ended his coaching career with an overall record of 104–58–6
