Florida Gator Clubs Thrive In Rival Tennesee

They receive looks walking down the street, the people of the town not sure what their eyes are affixed on. Those being looked at know the reason for the confusion. In this town, you don’t wear that shade of orange and you definitely don’t wear blue.

When you’re loyal to your school, though, the reactions are irrelevant. The importance a community of fellow alums and current students takes precedent over anything else.

The Gator Nation is everywhere, even in Tennessee.

Of the nearly 100 University of Florida Alumni Association-Affiliated Gator Clubs across the world, three of them are in the rival state of Tennessee: The Music City Gators, the Memphis Gator Club and the Knoxville Gator Club.

A focus on community is a central theme for all Gator Clubs, and the three in Tennessee work with their towns in various ways. In Nashville, the Music City Gators have volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House associated with Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. The club also hosted a music showcase in February that won them a UFAA award for the best out of state young alumni event.

In Memphis, the club is heavily involved with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis, providing cleanup efforts, as well as career guidance for the children that attend the facility. They also work with the Mid-South Food Bank, and will start a food and personal items drive this weekend that will run until the South Carolina game on November 15. Memphis Gator Club president Bethany Harrell said members that bring four or more canned food or personal items would receive an adult beverage or appetizer from the club.

For Knoxville, the focus is providing financial support for students, through raising money for scholarships, brining awareness to the current members in supporting students from Knoxville attending Florida.

While the clubs in Nashville and Memphis have been around for decades, Knoxville Gators are a new club to the area, becoming an official club two weeks ago. President Brittnee Mound came up with the idea of forming the club during this year’s Final Four, when she wanted to watch Florida’s games with fellow Gator fans.

In May, Mound and a group of Gators in Knoxville participated in International Gator Day, a day where clubs participate in projects for their local communities. Mound said she felt the event, as well as having a prior club in the 90s, helped show the amount of support in Knoxville. Hours before kickoff, the club was notified by the UFAA that they were approved to be an official Gator Club.

As a member of a club in Tennessee, game days can provide mixed results. In Memphis, the club has had viewing parties a local Buffalo Wild Wings without a hitch. In Nashville, there is a rivalry, but a friendly one, according to Music City Gators president Leslie Ballard. However, in the heart of Volunteer country, finding a place to watch the game was more difficult. Mound said they have been able to watch the games at two places, Double Dogs and Jet’s Pizza.

“I think the first time we went to Jet’s Pizza, they were kind of shocked by how many Gators we actually had,” Mound said. “They liked the business so we got over that hurdle, I guess.”

Deep in checkerboard territory, the Gator Nation is represented. Away from The Swamp, Florida supporters can share the bond of being a Gator through the three clubs.

Ryan Randall
From Melbourne, Florida, Ryan has lived in Florida since he was three, becoming a sports fan around that age. His passion for journalism rivals his love of sports. Shortly out of high school he covered prep and community sports for his hometown paper in Brevard Country, before moving to Gainesville, where he covered the Gators in the pros as well as prep sports for a few publications. A Telecommunications major at UF, Ryan now interns at Gator Country and ecstatic to showcase his talents for the publication. When not working on stories, Ryan enjoys playing basketball, music, as well as art. Follow Ryan at @_RyanRandall_