The Swamp is #1

Most of these" Stadium Rankings" polls are warped by the teams recent record or long term rep. This one got it right.

 

Great! Let's "fix" it!

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

 

Unfortunately anything from Newsbreak tries to force me to download yet another app and probably sign up — that’s where it ends for me

 

So profound... in unspoken truth.

 

All of college football is going to look much more like NFL going forward. Those of us that grew up with the college football traditions based on amateur athlete status and the true student-athlete are not going to recognize college football in 15 years (or sooner).

 

Since when have we not been a "traditional powerhouse" as a school and as a stadium?

 

B.S. = Before Spurrier

 

Florida took down many a foes at Florida field even before SOS had arrived in 1990 as the head Coach.
For instance,
- UF defeated national power Southern Cal in 1982 at Florida Field (as known then),
- Miami in 1983 (UF defeated the hurricanes 28-3; Miami would later win the NC that same season)
Bumpers Stickers read
"State Champions 28, National Champions - 3"
- an undefeated 7-0 Auburn team in 1986 met a Florida defeat after injured star Kerwin Bell came off the bench to lead the Gators to victory.
- Florida had a long streak of 1st RD NFL draft picks from the late 1970s extending into the 1990s & beyond.

So, plenty was accomplished at Florida even before SOS's arrival.
Even in the 1980s, Florida had one of the highest winning percentages in the SEC which gave the Gators their great reputation for being so tough at home.

Steve Spurrier capitilized on this reputation by giving the Florida home field advantage the catchy nickname, "The Swamp" 'where only gators get out alive with a victory'. During the 1990s, SOS's UF teams were wildly successful at home and solidified & reinforced that tradition of home success.

From 1983-1985, Florida had the school's longest unbeaten streak (18 games without a loss, 16-0-2);
UF had 3 straight top 5/6 finishes (a school first as UF had never finished in the top 10 before much less doing that feat for 3 straight years);
Florida would win two 'unofficial' SEC titles on the field ('84, '85), and also recorded their first ever #1 ranking (in 1985) after defeating top 10 SEC foe at Auburn
- a terrrible loss to Georgia would have denied the probation/SEC penalized Florida from winning their first ever AP NC in 1985.

That unbeaten record held up for about 25+ years before the Urban Meyer UF teams had a 22-game unbeaten streak (from 2008 to 2010). This winning streak began immediately after Ole Miss had defeated then undefeated Florida in the Swamp (2008) and Tim Tebow gave his impassioned speech to keep pursuing excellence and the championship.

 

Do you recognize is now? The days of Rudy left the building long ago. Its being seen now for what it already became. Theres still some students though, its just a mix.

 

All that’s true but hardly qualifies as anything close to “a traditional powerhouse” A great effort and spectacle here and there (my favorite game was ‘86 over Auburn) but “traditional powerhouses” won national championships and SEC titles.

 

Actually, if we fix it, this will be our new fan base:

 

Florida Field rocked before Spurrier

 

But the discussion is about Florida Field - a.k.a. The Swamp

 

Yeap..it did..was packed at every game..even the directional schools we played at the begin of a season

 

Was there for every one of those games..

 

Totally. I see these lists and they have Sanford and BDS listed at the top. Those are not difficult places to play because of the atmosphere; they’re difficult because Georgia and Alabama have the best players. Same with Ohio State.

I’ll always contend that the Swamp, LSU, and Auburn are the 3 most difficult atmospheres in the whole country. They’re loud and hostile, and even in their down years, they can still influence the game. Neyland is right behind them.