Steve Spurrier, the Gator Great who came up with The Swamp as a nickname for Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the beginning of his coaching tenure at Florida, had another gem Friday.
“Swarm The Swamp tomorrow! If Florida wins, hit the field! Respect for LSU and goal posts stay intact. But when we win, Swarm the Swamp. Spurrier’s will pay the fine,” Spurrier said at his restaurant and then later Friday at Ballyhoo Grill.
Steve Spurrier: “Swarm The Swamp tomorrow! If Florida wins, hit the field! Respect for LSU and goal posts stay intact. But when we win, Swarm the Swamp. Spurrier’s will pay the fine.”
— Arnold Feliciano (@arnoldfeliciano) November 16, 2024
“Fans at schools around the country storm the field after a big win, so it will be the first time we do at Florida when we Sworm The Swamp if we win,” said Spurrier, who said he thought about the idea on a Friday flight from Oklahoma with his wife, Jerri, after a visit to his son, Steve Jr., a coach at Tulsa.
Should the Gators (4-5, 2-3 SEC) upset the No. 21 Tigers (6-3, 3-2) on Saturday at The Swamp “fans can run around acting crazy, hugging each other,” a smiling Spurrier said.
The SEC fines a member university $100,000 for a first offense of storming the field.
The Head Ball Coach said Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille located in Gainesville’s Celebration Pointe would “pay the $75,000 or whatever the fine is.”
Jill Kirk Andreu contributed to this report.