Tag Archives: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

Step up and get bucked down. It’s as simple as that. And the Infamous Diamonds of Gainesville always bring their A-game. Majorette-style dance began in the 1960s, with dance lines at historically Black colleges and universities that typically accompanied marching bands. Shows such as “Bring It!” popularized the hip-hop style of majorette dance and competition in 2014, making it a household dance style for many who were unfamiliar with it.

Florida Gator fans already have a reason to love Tom Petty; the lyrics of his 1989 hit “I Won’t Back Down” echo through Ben Hill Griffin Stadium during every home football game. Now fans have more reason to love the late Gainesville native and rock icon after several donations to the community have been made in his honor. A gift of $25,000 was made to the Cade Museum on Petty’s behalf by his daughter, Adria Petty, in October. Jennifer Dempsey, the marketing manager for the Cade Museum, said the donation will go toward Operation Full Steam, an outreach program serving students in Title I schools in Alachua County. 

For the first time since Jan. 2, 1977, when the Gators lost to the Texas A&M Aggies in the Sun Bowl 37-14, a University of Florida football game was held on a Sunday. The Gators were scheduled to face the Eastern Washington Eagles on Saturday. But, because of the threat of Hurricane Ian, the University Athletic Association, with the approval of Eastern Washington, decided on Sept. 27 to postpone the game by one day hoping for more favorable weather on game day. But moving the game from Saturday to Sunday created a host of scheduling problems for thousands of fans.

This is a live event and this page will be updated as necessary as Hurricane Ian impacts Florida. You can also sign up to receive local updates through Alert Florida.

WUFT News fact checked some of the statements the city included in the address.