Gator fans gathered on the Reitz Union Lawn on Thursday to engage in a meet and greet with Florida football players in a three-day event hosted by EA Sports.
The video game company stopped at the University of Florida as part of its Campus Pregame event to promote the video game College Football 26 (CFB26), by connecting fans with current and former Gator players in pregame events centered around the game.
According to EA Sports, “Campus Pregame is Taking College Football 26 on the road to campuses around the country to bring you closer to the game. These unique on-campus events are immersive experiences for fans to celebrate their fandom and cheer on their schools as they get ready for the game on Saturday.”
Matt Sacks, who manages marketing partnerships with EA Sports, said Campus Pregame destinations were selected before the season started. UF was the second stop on the tour, after EA Sports' visit to the University of Tennessee on Sept. 11-13.
“There’s a great tradition of football and athletics at the school. It’s great to celebrate Florida football’s rich history,” said Sacks.
Campus Pregame kicked off at 11 a.m. Thursday, and fans were later joined by Gators starting running back Jadan Baugh and linebacker Aaron Chiles, both sophomores.
Despite the team’s disappointing 1-3 start to the season, fans still showed up to engage with the players and participate in different games like Jenga, a reaction test and football toss.
Baugh said he volunteered to participate in the meet and greet as it got him out of the house to interact with fans.
“It’s another chance to collaborate with the fans and get to know them a little more,” he said.
Aidan Hosler, a 19-year-old mechanical engineering major, was one of the fans fortunate enough to play a game with Baugh. The two played CFB26 for a while, during which they chatted for around 15 minutes.
“The way [Baugh] carries himself is very admirable, he’s so down-to-earth,” said Hosler. “It’s not something you’d expect from a hotshot running back.”
Baugh said the experience with Hosler allowed him to better understand game day from the fans’ perspective.
“From him sitting in the stands, it’s different than walking through the stadium,” said Baugh.
Hosler wasn’t the only Gator fan who attended and got to play CFB26. Twenty-year-old biology major Ana Mazin, and her friend, Zoey Hobbs, 20, stopped by one of the TVs and picked up the Play Station controllers to test their skills with the video game.
“I came out for fun before my exam,” said Mazin, as she and Hobbs were picking out teams in the game.
Andres Rodriguez, a 20-year-old sports journalism major, came out to do the same.
Rodriguez participated in a game of football toss, where he competed for prizes.
“It’s exciting to come out and see EA Sports,” he said.
The meet and greet wasn’t the only event EA Sports coordinated ahead of the Gators’ game versus the University of Texas Saturday.
At 2 p.m. Thursday, an esports tournament began, where fans signed up to play against each other to win prizes.
“Over 100 people signed up to play in the tournament,” said Sacks.
Sacks said Campus Pregame will start at 11 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. on Friday. Fans will be able to play in a one-play challenge with Sketch, a content creator and video game streamer.
Former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, who currently plays for the Atlanta Falcons, will also be on campus Friday at 4 p.m. for the College Football 26 Showdown.
The showdown will feature Pitts playing Sketch in CFB26, which will be livestreamed on Twitch in a partnership with Spotify.
The event will continue through Saturday, as fans can join EA Sports from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. prior to kickoff.