KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – The Tennessee Volunteers are on the road this Saturday in a noon game at “The Swamp.”
Officially, the University of Florida’s football home is Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, known as one of the most inhospitable places in college football for visiting teams. It can also be very hot.
It was originally built in 1930 and has been updated several times. It’s the largest stadium in the state of Florida. It has held some 90,000 for football games, although it’s seating capacity is not quite that great.
‘The Swamp’
“The Swamp” nickname came from former Florida coach, College Football Hall of Famer and legendary quipster Steve Spurrier in 1992.
The story goes he called up a Gainesville sports writer and said: “We’re gonna start calling our home field ‘The Swamp,’ What do you think?”
“Us Gators are comfortable in there, but we want our opponents to be tentative,” Spurrier is quoted as saying in promoting the nickname. “A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous.”
The field was actually named for Spurrier in September 2016 and is called the “Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.”
Yes, “The Swamp” is a lot simpler.
Tennessee-Florida
Florida leads Tennessee is 28-20 all-time in this Southeastern Conference rivalry game.
Tennessee hasn’t won in “The Swamp” since 2003 in a team coach by Phillip Fulmer, now the Vols’ athletic director.
Tennessee last beat Florida, 38-28, in 2016 in Neyland Stadium.
Saturday’s game, the first road game for Tennessee, will be televised by ESPN.