The Florida Gators have chomped their way to
the National Championship again!
It's GREAT TO BE A FLORIDA GATOR!

For the second time in three years the Florida Gators Football Team has won the National Championship! Led by head coach Urban Meyer, the Gators are on top of the College Football World. As they were awarded the crystal BCS trophy it became clear that they have created the premier program in the country. This team could be set up for a long term run at or near the top of College Football. There are only thirteen seniors on the squad this year.

The Gators on the field leader - and off the field leader - is Quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. He has announced that he will return to the Gators for his senior year. Tebow will be among the preseason Heisman Trophy favorites to win the award. The offense will lose only four starters to graduation.

The impressive defense that held the high scoring Oklahoma offense to only 14 points does not have one senior on that side of the ball. Although they could lose a couple of players to the NFL draft, it appears that this team will return intact for the most part. It is likely that the Gators will be ranked number 1 when the 2009 preseason rankings are released.

When the Gators start their home schedule in 2009 they will benefit from having one of the strongest home field advantages in the country. The stadium the Gators play in has been nicknamed “The Swamp.” It can be a very hostile environment for opposing players. It is extremely difficult for a visiting team to come and play in The Swamp.

The temperature down on the field on game-day is usually over 100 degrees. That intense heat combined with high humidity and lack of wind flow due to the enclosed design of the stadium results in a very hot and uncomfortable place for visiting players to compete in (after all – this is where Gatorade was invented). The stadium is designed with steep stands so the fans are very close to the action. This helps create a very noisy atmosphere.

Gator fans are extremely loyal and committed to their team. The stadium has been sold out for every game since 1989. After a few additions to the stadium over the years, it officially seats over 88,000 people, although there are frequently over 90,000 people at each home game. It is the largest sports facility in the state of Florida.

There is a Ring of Honor located in the north end of the stadium which stands as a tribute to some of the greatest players in Gator football history. Current members of the Ring of Honor are Steve Spurrier, Jack Youngblood, Wilber Marshall, Emmitt Smith and Danny Wuerfell. Will Tim Tebow's name be the next one added to the Ring of Honor?

The Gator men’s basketball program will have another exciting year as they battle for the SEC title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Billy Donovan led the Gators to back to back national titles in 2006 and 2007. This is an incredible feat in any era.

The basketball team returns four of its five starters from last year. By keeping the nucleus intact there are expectations that this team will improve as the year goes on. Nick Calathes led the Gators in scoring last year, averaging over 15 points a game. He also led the SEC in assists per game and was named co-Freshman of the year. He was one of only two players in the country to average over 15 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists per game.

The basketball team’s home court is located in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center (also known as the O-Dome) which seats 12,000 people. The O-Dome replaced the old Florida Gymnasium in 1980. The O-Dome is a multipurpose facility which is also home to women’s basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, indoor track, swimming and diving teams.

The Gator football and basketball programs have won four out of the last six national titles. For the 25th consecutive year the Gator athletic program is ranked among the nation's top 10.
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