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It’s been a whirlwind for sports since the Gators were upset by Texas A&M on Saturday. Florida head coach Dan Mullen has not left the spotlight since then.
Mullen under fire
The Gators were one of the teams with the potential to make the college football playoffs later this year. After a loss in Texas, that dream is a distant memory. In the postgame press conference, things took a turn. The 48-year-old coach expressed that he wants to “pack” the Swamp and advocated that the energy of the fans really played a difference in the outcome of the game.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently lifted all restrictions on capacity. Mullen urged Florida to listen to the governor. Mullen wished for a full house for the upcoming game against LSU.
#Florida head coach Dan Mullen said the Texas A&M crowd played a "major factor" in the Gators loss.
Mullen wants a packed house at The Swamp next week vs. LSU: "So I certainly hope our university administration follows the governor." #GoGators pic.twitter.com/rlXLGBu1mq
— Kyle Burger (@kyle_burger) October 11, 2020
Backlash and Backtrack
The University of Florida immediately followed Dan’s comments with their own. They shut down any idea of increasing capacity and will continue to abide by the guidelines set by UF Health. He came under fire for his comments. Additionally, some described his comments as “reckless” and “irresponsible.”
During a press conference today, Dan apologizes and backtracks his comments from the weekend.
Mullen clarifies what he meant by “packing” the Swamp. For him, he wants as many fans in the stands as put forth by the school. If it’s 20%, he wants all of those 17,000 seats filled. He is encouraging for high energy despite the smaller crowd for all home games going forward.
Postponed
The LSU-Florida game set for Saturday has been postponed. So far, the teams are aiming for December to play.
In a press conference today, Florida AD Scott Strickland didn’t rule out the possibility of a packed house in December. However, he clearly reiterated that they would continue to follow the guidelines set by UF Health.
