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Florida unveils field design tribute to 1996 national championship team
By Jake Rill
Published:
Before the 1996 season, Florida had never won a football national championship. But that Gators team made history by winning the first title for the program, as they went 12-1 and defeated Florida State in the Sugar Bowl to become national champions.
Now, that Florida team is being honored 25 years later.
On Saturday, the Gators are paying tribute to the 1996 squad during their home matchup against Tennessee. It’s sure to be a memorable night in The Swamp, as Florida will be welcoming back more than 50 players from the team that won the national championship, which also includes some from the 1995 team that won the first of 2 straight SEC titles.
As part of the celebration, Florida decided to implement a special paint job on the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for the game, as the stripes around the field match the ones that were worn on the pants of the 1996 team:
The men with @GatorTurfStaff did a great job for this weekend like usual. Can’t wait to see this place lit up tomorrow night. pic.twitter.com/PruUPfhwJb
— GatorsEquipment (@GatorsEquipment) September 24, 2021
Pants stripe pattern from the ‘96 championship team … beautiful touch. ? https://t.co/ULSz3jN3h0 pic.twitter.com/65HqlrzFxc
— Branden Welford (@Notorious_BSW) September 24, 2021
After losing to Alabama at home last week to fall to 2-1, Florida will be looking for a bounce-back victory this week. The Gators and Vols are set to kick off on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
