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Florida To Honor ‘Swamp’ Naming, Will Wear Gator Uniforms For Texas A&M Game Saturday

By  //  October 11, 2017

only Division I school in country named Gators

ABOVE VIDEO: Coach Jim McElwain meets with the media to recap the game vs. LSU and look ahead at this week’s game vs. Texas A&M.

Twenty-five years after Ben Hill Griffin Stadium became “The Swamp,” the University of Florida football team will take the look of a Gator when they take the field on Saturday.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA — Twenty-five years after Ben Hill Griffin Stadium became “The Swamp,” the University of Florida football team will take the look of a Gator when they take the field on Saturday.

As the only Division I school in the country named the Gators, UF and Nike officials saw a unique opportunity that has been in the works for over two years. This marks the first time in school history that the Florida football team will stray from its traditional Orange and Blue look that is synonymous with its storied program.

Nike Football designers created and delivered a new alternate look for the team (incorporating the Nike Vapor Untouchable Speed uniform) that takes after an alligator’s armored body and channels its ability to be a master of camouflage.

Here are the head-to-toe details of this alternate uniform.

Helmet
A swamp green — used for the first time — covers the helmet, which has a satin finish. The Gator Head logo appears on one side of the helmet, which is another first for Florida.

This week the Gator Head logo appears on one side of the helmet, which is a first for Florida.

Baselayer and Jersey

Florida will wear a sublimated base-layer top in royal blue with a tonal gator print extending onto the sleeves. In sticking with the theme of the occasion,  the jersey  will be also be swamp green  and covered in a tonal gator print. Player numbers are orange trimmed in royal blue, while names appear in orange. A TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane, which is essentially a dense but smooth rubber) Gator logo patch sits at the center of the neck gusset.

The Gators will be in a swamp green jersey covered in a tonal gator print.

Gloves

Custom swamp green gloves showcase royal blue straps and accents and an orange Swoosh on the back of the hand, while a tonal Gator print and the Gator logo appear on the palm over orange.

Custom swamp green gloves showcase royal blue straps and accents and an orange Swoosh on the back of the hand, while a tonal Gator print and the Gator logo appear on the palm over orange.

Pants

The pants are solid swamp green with a TPU Gator logo patch on the hip while the socks are swamp green Vapor Grip socks. Their strategically placed cushion (for added comfort and impact protection) has a texture that coincidentally mimics the armored skin of an alligator.

Cleats

To complete the look, the players will wear special-edition cleats that span Nike’s complete footwear offering for NCAA teams (including the latest Alpha Menace Elite and Force Savage Elite). The cleats are swamp green and covered in Gator print with chrome orange plates. The sockliners have sublimated Gator logos on them.

In Demand

As an added bonus, Nike is also making available to the pubic the  Swamp Green Vapor Speed Turf Shoes with Gatorskin Print shoe that the coaches and staff will be wearing on the sideline.

Fans are already demanding to know how they can purchase the new uniform gear which will only be worn on Saturday. A swamp green t-Shirt and hat with Gatorhead logo are available for purchase. As an added bonus, Nike is also making available to the pubic the  Swamp Green Vapor Speed Turf Shoes with Gatorskin Print shoe that the coaches and staff will be wearing on the sideline.

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Florida-Texas A&M 

The Gators and Aggies will be meeting for just the fourth time in history. UF beat A&M, 42-6, in the first meeting in 1962 and Texas A&M returned the favor in the1977 Sun Bowl in El Paso, beating the Gators, 37-14.

Florida Gators will be a part of history on Saturday, as the Gators host Texas A&M in the second time in school history and first since 1962. In 2012, Florida welcomed the Aggies to the Southeastern Conference as UF traveled to College Station, Texas on Sept. 8, 2012.

The Gators and Aggies will be meeting for just the fourth time in history. UF beat A&M, 42-6, in the first meeting in 1962 and Texas A&M returned the favor in the1977 Sun Bowl in El Paso, beating the Gators, 37-14.

During that matchup five years ago, Florida downed A&M, 20-17.

How Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Became Known as ‘The Swamp’
It’s the 25th anniversary of when the Head Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier, gave Ben Hill Griffin Stadium its nickname, The Swamp.

“The ‘Swamp’ is a place where only Gators get out alive,” Spurrier told then-Gainesville Sun columnist Mike Bianchi in 1992. “We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous. We feel this is an appropriate nickname for our stadium.”

All told, Spurrier’s teams went 68-5 at home during his 12 seasons. Jim McElwain is 13-2 at home after going unbeaten in unbeaten in “The Swamp” last year.

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