NFL

Florida Gators Add Name of Legendary Coach Steve Spurrier To Football Stadium

What to Know

  • Florida is renaming its football field after former coach Steve Spurrier. The university’s board of trustees approved the change Thursday.
  • Spurrier already has a Heisman statue outside the stadium and is a member of the program’s exclusive Ring of Honor.

Florida is renaming its football field after former coach Steve Spurrier.

The university’s board of trustees approved the change Thursday, making it Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

The modification recognizes Spurrier, the program’s first Heisman Trophy winner (1966) and the coach who led the Gators to their first national championship (1996), and keeps the tradition of Florida Field. Florida Field was rededicated in 1934 to the memory of Florida servicemen who died in World War I. A plaque was placed on the wall outside the old north end zone as a memorial.

Spurrier already has a Heisman statue (joined by other Heisman winners for the school, Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel) outside the stadium and is a member of the program’s exclusive Ring of Honor.

Spurrier also nicknamed the stadium “The Swamp” during his time as a coach, which has stuck and is commonly used. Spurrier left for the NFL following the 2001 season, where he stayed for two seasons before returning to the college game.

He retired midway through the 2015 season after over ten years as the head coach at South Carolina.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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