Gator Growl
Predecessor | Dad's Day |
---|---|
Formation | 1923 |
Type | Pep rally |
Headquarters | Gainesville, Florida |
Location |
|
Producer | Brady Alexander |
General Chairman | Annika Katare |
Parent organization | Florida Blue Key |
Affiliations | University of Florida |
Website | Official website |
Gator Growl, produced by Florida Blue Key with artists funded by Student Government Productions,[1] is a student-run pep rally at the University of Florida that was founded in 1924.[2] It marks the culmination of Homecoming Week at the university.
Designated as the largest student-run pep rally in the world, the show is held annually on Flavet Field at the University of Florida (with the exception of 2021, which is held at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center). Before 2014, it was held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the on-campus football stadium.
Gator Growl is credited with inspiring , a similar event held annually at Oklahoma State University after a group of students, faculty and alumni traveled to Gainesville in 1995 to witness the event.
History[]
Gator Growl has been a University of Florida tradition for almost 100 years. Gator Growl has its roots in the tradition of "Dad's Day," a turn-of-the-century tradition in which fathers of the then all-male student body were invited to visit the new campus. In 1916, a pep rally replaced Dad's Day and "Gator Growl" was born.,[3] known as "firing up" enthusiasm for the next day's football game. In 1923, the tradition grew as skits, musical performances and guest speakers expanded the rally into a variety show. Students & alumni continued to express their Gator spirit by participating in cheers and enjoying performances by UF's Marching Band, Cheerleaders, and Dazzlers.
Over time, the Gator Growl production grew with the advancement of technology to its current scale. Today, it is a showcase of athletic talent and spirited tradition; a spectacle of fireworks, light displays, live music, and comedy. More than 500 student volunteers work for thousands of hours to coordinate the night of festivities for the University of Florida community. Producers, directors, assistant directors, and staff members are in charge of the production, execution, promotion, and dismantling of the show. These student volunteers earn Gator Growl its beloved nickname, "the world's largest student-run pep rally!"
The majority of the manual labor associated with this major production, however, is provided by University of Florida students who work at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, the University of Florida's indoor sports arena. The event takes more than a week to physically set up and requires more than 200 student employees to do so. Because Gator Growl is always held the night before a home football game, these students must work all night to remove every trace of the event by the following morning. Like all aspects of Gator Growl, the physical construction is also student-run with primary responsibility falling on the Production Lead—the student technician charged with coordinating and supervising all of the other student employees. The Production Lead and the Head Electrician (also a student) will typically serve as an apprentice to the position the year prior.
As a longstanding tradition at the University of Florida, Gator Growl is a show produced by students for students and alumni. With a vision to reinvent the spectacle into a more interactive, exciting and intimate show while still remaining true to its origins, the event was moved from the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to Flavet Field in 2014, which offers an environment conducive to executing this vision. The venue change also reduces the need for an extensive single-stage setup, thus making the event tremendously more cost-effective.
In its long history, Gator Growl has been recognized by Good Morning America, Comedy Central, Entertainment Tonight and was even featured as an answer on Jeopardy!.
Content[]
The main purpose of the pep rally is to motivate the Florida Gators to victory in their Homecoming football game. The show features performances from the UF Dazzlers, the University of Florida cheerleaders, and The Pride of the Sunshine marching band.
In addition to the cheers, there are performances from guest comedians, musicians, and entertainers who perform for the assembled students and alumni.
A special portion of the show is reserved for celebrity cameo appearances. In the past, cameo appearances have included countless entertainment icons such as David Letterman, Katie Couric, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, Jonah Hill, and B.o.B.
List of comedians and performers[]
Helen Reddy
Bob Hope
Jay Leno
Dave Chappelle
Carlos Mencia
Dane Cook
Year | Comedian(s) and Performers |
---|---|
1977 | Gabe Kaplan |
1978 | Helen Reddy |
1979 | Bob Hope |
1980 | George Burns |
1981 | Rodney Dangerfield |
1982 | Robin Williams |
1983 | Bob Hope, Irene Cara |
1984 | Bill Cosby, Herbie Hancock |
1985 | The Smothers Brothers |
1986 | Billy Crystal |
1987 | Jay Leno |
1988 | Steven Wright, Jerry Seinfeld |
1989 | Richard Jeni, Paula Poundstone |
1990 | Paul Provenza, Jeff Foxworthy |
1991 | Brian Regan, Tom Parks |
1992 | David Alan Grier, Larry Miller |
1993 | Garry Shandling, Dennis Miller |
1994 | Sinbad, Bobby Slayton |
1995 | Kevin Pollak, Anthony Clark |
1996 | Paul Rodriguez, Craig Shoemaker |
1997 | Howie Mandel, Jeremy Hotz, Michael Buffer, Sister Hazel |
1998 | Ray Romano, Dave Chappelle, Carlos Mencia, Larry the Cable Guy |
1999 | Pablo Francisco, Carrot Top, Craig Shoemaker |
2000 | Mitch Hedberg, John Pinette, D. L. Hughley |
2001 | Daniel Tosh, Dave Attell, Jim Breuer |
2002 | Bill Cosby, Harland Williams |
2003 | Sugar Ray, Christopher Titus, Arnez J |
2004 | Bill Engvall, Dane Cook |
2005 | Greg Giraldo, Wayne Brady |
2006 | Jim Gaffigan, Gabriel Iglesias |
2007 | Frank Caliendo, Lynyrd Skynyrd |
2008 | Jon Reep, Steve Miller Band |
2009 | Dana Carvey, O.A.R., JabbaWockeeZ |
2010 | Aziz Ansari, Kevin Hart, Dan Levy |
2011 | Joel McHale, Goo Goo Dolls |
2012 | Tracy Morgan, Josh Turner, Dara Torres |
2013 | The Fray, Sister Hazel, New Directions Veterans Choir |
2014 | Brooks Wheelan, Foster the People, Ludacris[4] |
2015 | Jana Kramer,[5] Echosmith, T.I. |
2016 | Passion Pit, Timeflies, Maddie and Tae, Waka Flocka Flame[6] |
2017 | Snoop Dogg, Daya[7] |
2018 | Walk the Moon, Ty Dolla $ign |
2019 | Chase Rice, Lanco, Blanco Brown |
2021 | Titus O'Neil, Gunna, Neon Trees |
References[]
- ^ Chairman, SGP. "Student Government Productions". sg.ufl.edu.
- ^ "Founding of Gator Growl". Archived from the original on 2008-09-22. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
- ^ At the original pep rally, legend has it that freshmen contributed their weight in wood to a giant bonfire
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2014-07-22.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "The University of Florida - Gator Growl 1999". Archived from the original on 1999-11-04.
- ^ "Gator Growl 2016 Information". Archived from the original on 2017-07-17.
- ^ "Gator Growl 2017".
Historical voice of Gator Growl Karl Kaufmann, a 39-year tradition continues with his daughter Kelli Kaufmann https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDzer-WI5ec
External links[]
- University of Florida
- 1923 establishments in Florida
- Recurring events established in 1923