More than a century after the University of Florida held its first Homecoming, the celebration has grown and evolved while maintaining traditions that connect current students with the Gators before
them. As UF prepares for its 2026 Homecoming, here’s a look at how the celebration began, the development of key traditions and what Homecoming looks like today.
What is UF Homecoming?
Homecoming at the University of Florida is a profound tradition built around Florida Gator pride. With the Homecoming parade, Gator Growl and Saturday’s football game headlining the celebration, current students, alumni and members of the Gainesville community come together for a week of events.
UF Homecoming & Gator Growl is a completely student-run organization responsible for all the events throughout Homecoming week.
“The overall organization is Homecoming & Gator Growl,” Homecoming general chair Maya Goldstein said. “Homecoming is six events plus community service where we partner with an organization and raise money on their behalf, and the Gator Growl is the show.”
Classes are cancelled for all students the Friday of Homecoming week, allowing everybody to participate in the festivities and showcase Gator spirit.
To understand what Homecoming has become, there are more than 100 years of history to look back on.
The Origins and Traditions of UF Homecoming
Florida held its first Homecoming game and parade in 1916, replacing the “Dad’s Day” game, which invited students’ fathers to visit campus. Seven years later, in 1923, Gator Growl was added to the celebration by Florida Blue Key, a student leadership honor society.
The first Gator Growl event featured musical acts and skits on Florida Field the night before the game. Live performances were followed by a bonfire event. Freshmen would go out to collect fuel and firewood to build a bonfire, with the tradition coming to an end in the early 1950s.
As Homecoming grew, new traditions became part of the celebration, though not all of them lasted. An aquatic ballet became Homecoming's newest event in 1948, bringing together more than 100 swimmers, known as the Swimcapades, to perform synchronized swimming and diving that drew in thousands of people.
The crowning of a homecoming queen followed in 1953, with a homecoming king added later in the decade. Unlike the aquatic ballet, which ended in 1965 after 17 years, the Homecoming court remains part of the festivities today. The king and queen are announced at Gator Growl.
Other traditions created decades later remain crucial parts of Homecoming today. Gator Gallop, a 2-mile run through UF’s campus, began in 1981 and continues to take place before the Homecoming parade.
University of Florida alum and former Florida Blue Key member Rick Freedman, who attended UF from 1976 to 1983, helped organize Homecoming events when Gator Gallop was created.
“The Gator Gallop was created while I was there,” Freedman said. “The Gallop is an amazing event and it’s nice to see that it still takes place each year.”
While some of Homecoming’s iconic traditions have disappeared over the years, each has helped shape Homecoming into the celebration it is today.
The Evolution of Gator Growl
What started as a collection of musical performances and skits in 1923 eventually grew into one of Homecoming’s biggest attractions. Over the years, entertainers have come to Gainesville to perform for thousands attending Homecoming.
Freedman said Gator Growl was one of his favorite events during his time as a student and he never took it for granted.
“Gator Growl was the biggest and best pep rally in the entire United States of America,” Freedman said. “To be able to pack out a football stadium and have an entire show built around a top performer, nothing came close to that.”
Past Gator Growl headliners include comedians Robin Williams, Bob Hope, Gabe Kaplan and Jerry Seinfeld. Selecting those performers once required producers to travel in search of potential acts.
Mason Silverstein, the Gator Growl executive producer, said that until the early 2000s, producers would travel to Canada and attend comedy shows to decide whom they wanted to bring to Gator Growl.
Until Gator Growl moved out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in 2014, its featured performers were typically comedians. Location changes coincided with a shift toward musicians for Gator Growl. The event was held at Flavett Field from 2014 to 2019 before eventually moving to the O’Connell Center.
“Going from comedians in front of 60,000 people every year to 10,000 to 15,000 in a large field area or basketball arena created a different vibe and energy,” Silverstein said.
Event organizers are continuing Gator Growl’s evolution by bringing some older traditions back to the stage. For about the last 15 years, most skits have been prerecorded rather than live on stage. Silverstein said the return of those traditions can also help connect the event with alumni who remember earlier versions of Gator Growl.
Silverstein said this year’s show will feature 90 minutes of live programming, including sports team recognitions, live skits, videos, graphics and celebrity cameos.
“What makes Gator Growl different from a normal live event is the idea of tradition, and it’s cool to bring back old traditions that haven’t been seen in a while,” Silverstein said.
UF Homecoming 2026
One-hundred-ten years after UF's first Homecoming, many of its traditions continue in 2026 alongside newer additions to the celebration.
The Charity 5K, Pageant and Soulfest have already taken place. Three traditions that span across different generations of UF Homecoming — the Festival, Gator Gallop and Parade — return Friday. Florida takes on South Carolina on Saturday in the homecoming football game.
UF senior Tyler Malat, who has attended Homecoming events since his freshman year, has experienced that buildup throughout Homecoming week.
“During homecoming week, that energy starts Monday, lasts through Friday, and keeps increasing throughout the week until it explodes for the game on Saturday,” Malat said.
The Festival and Gator Gallop begin at 9 a.m., followed by the Parade at noon.
This year’s Gator Growl is headlined by comedian Nikki Glaser. ESPN’s Laura Rutledge and former Gators linebacker Brandon Spikes will co-host the event. Doors to the O’Connell Center open at 6 p.m.
“Homecoming is the most special thing UF does,” Goldstein said. “It unites the alumni, students and the Gainesville community with all the events that we put on, and it’s really special to see everybody come together and take pride in being a Gator.”