Ben Hill Griffin Stadium - One Stadium, Three Names

One Stadium, Three Names

The name of the playing surface has remained "Florida Field" since the stadium's original construction in 1930. The university renamed the stadium, but not the playing surface, in honor of citrus magnate Ben Hill Griffin, Jr., an alumnus and major benefactor of the university and its sports programs, in 1989.

In the early 1990s, in describing Florida's home-field advantage, then-coach Steve Spurrier noted that ". . . a swamp is where Gators live. We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous. Only Gators get out alive." Ben Hill Griffin Stadium has been commonly known as "The Swamp" ever since.