Florida Gators Restore 'Gator Bait' After 2-Season Fan Campaign and 90,000-Fan Return
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 10
Florida Gators Restore 'Gator Bait' After 2-Season Fan Campaign and 90,000-Fan Return
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 10
Summary
90,000 Florida fans revived the once-banned 'Gator Bait' chant at the Gators' opener against FAU after the school quietly restored the tradition.
The return followed a podcast-driven push in which host James Di Virgilio said he polled fans for two seasons and received only one objection against hundreds of messages supporting reinstatement.
Stuart Bell, hired as University of Florida president in July, became the key decision-maker after fans were urged to email him; a marching-band practice clip leaked the day before the opener signaled the chant's comeback.
'Gator Bait' had been banned in 2020 over alleged racial undertones tied to historical depictions, though supporters say the football chant was popularized in the 1990s by defensive back Lawrence Wright and used as a traditional rallying cry.
The reinstatement still drew criticism from some opponents, but backers framed it as a fan-led restoration of school tradition rather than a political statement.