If you’ve attended a Gators game the last two years you might have noticed it’s hard to find your favorite player warming up.
In the past, most football players would come out on the field for the first time in their game pants and a shirt to warm up on their own. By the time the team started doing drills, however, they would be in full pads. That’s roughly 45 minutes to an hour before kickoff already in full pads and uniform. If you look at Florida, the players won’t be in full uniform until they come out of the tunnel to start the game.
It’s made figuring out who is who, for fans and media, a nightmare – if not impossible. Strategically, it’s also a nightmare for opposing coaches and staff.
The rule reads:
“The Rules Committee Address issues of Unsportsmanlike behavior in the pregame and took steps to clean this action up. The officials’ jurisdiction will now begin 90 minutes before kickoff (previously 60 minutes). Additionally, when any squad member enters the playing enclosure prior to the game, the head coach or an assistant coach from that team must be present on the field. Furthermore, when any squad member is present within the playing enclosure after the officials’ jurisdiction, they must be wearing their jersey or have their numeral readily visible. Players without their numeral readily visible must leave the playing enclosure.”
In English, the rule will mandate that any player on the field up to 90 minutes prior to kickoff must have their jersey number “readily visible” on their shirt or jersey.
“The Dan Mullen Rule,” Mullen laughed when the question was brought up on a Zoom press conference. Mullen says he calls it that because a team turned the Gators in, complained about his practice, to the league.
Which team, asked a reporter.
“Who do you think?” Mullen replied.
The reporters responded, “Georgia.” Mullen, taking a sip of his drink, “you said it, not me.”
“I mean that’s because these staffs, people have like 75 quality control coaches that get all mad because they can’t, they’ve got like 30 guys that are trying to take notes, and our guys. Whenever we’re warming up, I don’t know, I think it’s ridiculous to have to do that, to be perfectly honest with you, it is,” Mullen said. “The Dan Mullen rule, that is horrendously ridiculous. Listen, it’s not the game, I mean our guys, we know how we warm-up, our guys like warming up how we warm up.”
Mullen was asked about this practice in 2018 and his reasoning for making the switch wasn’t about finding a competitive edge, it was simply player comfort and player preference.
Mississippi State’s 2014 season opener against Southern Mississippi featured a torrential downpour prior to kickoff. Mullen made the decision to send his players out for pregame warmups in just shorts and t-shirts so their uniforms and pads wouldn’t be soaking wet before the game. Southern Miss didn’t, and played the rest of the game, “sloshing around” as Mullen recalled in 2018 when he was asked by reporters in Gainesville
“I met with our leadership committee and I said ‘what do you guys think?'” Mullen said in 2018. “They said ‘we loved that. We love getting out there warming up a little bit earlier.'”
It may provide a competitive advantage, momentarily, but it wasn’t a decision made with gaining an edge. It was a decision made to make players more comfortable. It just had an additional benefit.
Mullen wasn’t happy about the rule change but insists he’ll abide by it.
“I will abide by the Dan Mullen rule,” he said with a smirk. “I try to be a good soldier in the SEC, so I’ll abide by the Dan Mullen rule, and we’ll put some number somewhere.”