page_title: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
section_title: Florida Field traditions
hierarchical_section_title: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium / Florida Field traditions
caption_attribution_description: English: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium During "I Won't Back Down" Tradition
context_page_description: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, popularly known as "The Swamp", is the football stadium for the University of Florida's football team which is located on its Gainesville, Florida campus. The stadium was built in 1930 with a capacity of about 22,000, and has been expanded, renovated, and improved many times over the ensuing decades. Most of the football coach and administrative offices and the football team's training facilities have been under the south and west stands of Florida Field since the 1960s. In 2016, the University of Florida Athletic Association announced plans to build a $60 million stand-alone football facility which is scheduled to open in 2021.
  Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is the largest football stadium in Florida, the 12th largest stadium in American college football, and the 18th largest stadium in the world, as measured by its official seating capacity of 88,548 – though, it has often held over 90,000 for Florida's home football games.
context_section_description: Like most historic college football venues, the Swamp has several notable features and is the scene of several unique game day traditions:
  Commemorated atop the south end zone's facade are the years of each of the team's Southeastern Conference championships and its 1996, 2006 and 2008 National Championships.  Also included are tributes to the school's three Heisman Trophy winners, Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, and Tim Tebow.
  Atop the north end zone facade, the Ring of Honor commemorates some of the greatest players and coaches in Gator football history. The members are Tim Tebow, Wilber Marshall, Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, Emmitt Smith, and Jack Youngblood.
  In April 2011, life-size bronze statues of Heisman Trophy winners Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, and Tim Tebow were dedicated outside the west side of the stadium along Gale Lemerand Drive.
  Painted on the four corners of the stadium are large messages "This is . . . THE SWAMP" (previously read ". . . FLORIDA FIELD" before the mid-1990s), "This is . . . GATOR COUNTRY", the SEC Championship winning years, and the national championship winning years (updated before the 2017 season). Before that season, two of the corners had messages stating "Home of the . . . FLORIDA GATORS" (previously read " . . . FIGHTIN' GATORS" during the 1990s) and "It's Great To Be A FLORIDA GATOR" (before the 2013 season)
  Entertainment on game days includes the "Pride of the Sunshine", the University of Florida's marching band. The Pride of the Sunshine is the oldest marching band in Florida and is known for its very large bass drum, the "Biggest Boom in Dixie", which is wheeled around the field during the band's pregame performance. Like most college bands, the Gator band performs before the game, at halftime, and from their seats during breaks in the action. They are perhaps best known for playing "Jaws", a repeated two-note theme based on music from the movie Jaws while fans perform a two-armed Gator chomp.
  Albert and Alberta, one of the few costumed mascot couples in major college sports, have been attending games together since 1984. Albert debuted first, in 1970. Before the costumed mascots, a live caged alligator named Albert was often displayed along the sideline.
  Minutes before kickoff, a short hype video is shown on the large video screens, the contents of which varies slightly from season to season. At the end of each years' video, a group of real alligators is shown gathering in murky water while ominous music plays. Then the camera zooms into the gaping jaws of a large alligator while a deep voice intones "The Swamp . . . Only Gators get out alive!" as the football team takes the field.
  Jim Finch, the public address announcer at the stadium from 1966 through 2001, was known for his famously long "Heeeeeeeeeeeeeere come the Gators!" call delivered in powerful baritone as the Gators ran onto Florida Field before each game, and for his succinct and even-handed style of announcing the plays during the game. Finch died in 2002, but an audio recording of his distinctive entrance call has been used on occasion, with the current PA announcer replicating Finch's call for all other games.
  George Edmondson (a.k.a. "Mr. Two Bits"), wearing his trademark yellow oxford shirt, blue seersucker trousers, orange-and-blue tie, and black-and-white saddle shoes, traveled around the stands for almost 60 years leading fans in the old "Two Bits" cheer ("Two bits!  Four bits!  Six bits!  A dollar!  All for the Gators, stand up and holler!"). Edmondson began the tradition in 1949 and "retired" to become a regular fan after his 50th season in 1998.  However, he couldn't stay in his seat and continued to lead the cheer during pre-game festivities and (occasionally) in the stands during games. On November 22, 2008, at the last home game of the season, Mr. Two Bits was again honored with a retirement ceremony. Since then, a series of "guest Mr. Two Bits" (usually former star Gator athletes) have led the pregame cheers.
  At the end of the third quarter, the Pride of the Sunshine Band plays "We Are the Boy
caption: Fans sing and wave lighted phones during I Won't Back Down
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