The Gators men’s basketball team returned on Tuesday to Gainesville where a rally awaited them after Monday night’s triumphant victory (65-63) against the University of Houston in the NCAA championship game.
Flavet Field on the University of Florida campus became a sea of orange and blue as approximately 8,500 students, alumni and Gainesville residents came out to welcome the Gator boys back home.
This season was nothing short of historic for the Gators, but it was no easy feat, and the fans acknowledged that.
Both the championship game itself and Tuesday’s rally allowed Gator fans to come together, honor the team and celebrate their national title win, although the celebrations never really stopped after last night.
The rally pulled out all the stops for the champion Gator boys and felt like any UF sporting event. There were a few cheerleaders and Dazzlers, members of the pep band, the Mic Man, and of course, no UF event is complete without the mascots, Albert and Alberta.
Sean Kelley, the “Voice of the Gators,” emceed the rally, introduced the team upon their arrival and brought a lot of energy to the already electric crowd, despite running on no sleep, he said. He led the attendees in a “Gator boys stay hot” chant, which was deemed a new Gators cheer.
The celebration of the Gators will continue throughout the week and alongside the Orange & Blue game. Saturday’s schedule will now include a blowout celebration of the basketball team’s win before the football game, and more information will be shared with fans in the next 24 hours.
This title win was memorable for the basketball team and for those who grew up in Gainesville as lifelong Gator fans.
Alex Bowen is a junior studying plant science at UF and a native of Gainesville. She has been going to Gator sporting events for as long as she can remember, but this championship game meant something else.
“Last time we won the championship [for basketball], I was 3. My hometown friends and I joke about how we could’ve been partying on University Avenue in 2007, but we had to sleep or play with our Littlest Pet Shops,” Bowen said.
“Now, we’re able to experience what we always talked about. It’s the best vibe I have felt in Gainesville in a long time.”
Other UF students shared similar sentiments, noting that all Gator sporting events, especially basketball this year, improve their college experiences.
Sophomore Caroline Gibbes is a pep band member and got the opportunity to travel alongside the basketball team. She said she is grateful to have witnessed in person many of the Gator triumphs this season.
“Although I didn’t travel to the championship game, I knew people [in the band] who were there, who were yelling, and it felt like I was there with them,” Gibbes said. “I think this feeling is the story that I’ll tell my kids when I talk about my college experience.”
While most fans stayed behind in Gainesville, some trekked to San Antonio to watch the Gators win it all in person, which was certainly the opportunity of a lifetime.
“It is very meaningful to me to have experienced seeing my hometown team win a championship in person,” said Jacob Prater, another Gainesville native who grew up rooting for the Gators. He said seeing the Gators win a championship in person has been his lifelong dream.
“It was especially meaningful to share this moment with my son and nephew. And the Gator fans represented the team well in San Antonio. The championship celebration on the riverwalk and doing Gator cheers with all the other fans was remarkable.”
Zachary, Prater’s son and a current UF student, said the energy in the arena when the final buzzer hit zero was nothing short of electric — an unforgettable, surreal moment.
“The last few minutes were pretty back and forth, so I was just nervous the whole time,” he said. “The last play of the game was pretty chaotic, so I lost track of the time, and when the buzzer sounded, it took me a solid few seconds to even register that we had won. It was immediate jumping and celebrating once it had finally set in.”
The crowd was thrilled to welcome home the whole team, but one player brought the house down – who else but the “most outstanding player of the tournament,” Walter Clayton Jr.
The fans didn’t hesitate to chant Clayton’s name after Kelley announced him to the crowd, proving he is a fan favorite this season.
The celebration rally ended with the Gator boys coming out into the crowd to take photos, autograph some merchandise and interact with the fans who fuel their fire.
Head coach Todd Golden gave some final remarks and thanked the fans on behalf of the team for representing what Gator Nation is all about.
“You guys have been amazing all year, your support has carried us to the highest level,” Golden said during the rally. “I know myself, my staff and our players appreciate you all more than you know. Go Gators, baby!”
Above: Explore a timeline of the Florida Gators’ March Madness journey this year, starting at their SEC Tournament win going through their national championship victory. Click through each date to see its significance to the Gators season and to see how they stayed hot during the tournament. (Timeline by Fiona Smith/WUFT News | Information courtesy of https://floridagators.com/sports/mens-basketball)
