Florida's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Still Scaring SEC Teams
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While the SEC's prestige has been a big talking point this offseason after the Big Ten conference won its third national championship in a row, the venues in the South are still the best in college football.
The culture is rich for football in SEC country, and the way fans show up to tailgate and party before, during, and after football games is unmatched by any other area in the country.
Florida has one of the best stadiums not only in the SEC but in the entire country. Blake Toppmeyer of USA Today ranked Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as the No. 2 football venue in the SEC behind LSU's Tiger Stadium, which should feel like an honor for UF.
"The Gators don’t back down at The Swamp," Toppmeyer wrote. "Consider last season: Florida went 4-2 at home, including an upset of Texas, and 0-6 away from The Swamp.
"The past 10 years, Florida has a .754 home winning clip, compared to .391 in road or neutral games. Florida fans singing Tom Petty in unison before the fourth quarter is peak college football."
Simply put, SEC teams still fear playing in "The Swamp."
During the SEC Media Days this week, new Florida head coach Jon Sumrall made a nod to fans, noting that the program had 18 consecutive sellouts at the 88,548-capacity Ben Hill Griffin Stadium despite having a losing record overall last season and struggling in recent years.
Star Gators running back Jadan Baugh told reporters this week he still gets "goosebumps" when he plays at home.
"Every time. Before I even touch campus, I get goosebumps, just because it's different," Baugh said.
"I don't think you'll ever get that feeling nowhere else. Because I’ve seen it as a recruit, as a fan. I've also seen it as a player now. So being able to get goosebumps in a place like The Swamp, I feel like that's an honor."
Florida will need its home-field advantage this season when they play a tough SEC schedule at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against Ole Miss, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt.
The Gators will open their season at home against FAU before hosting Campbell on Sept. 12.
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