Gators’ makeover for ‘Swamp’ won’t affect Florida Field capacity

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators’ makeover for “The Swamp” won’t affect attendance or ambiance inside one of the Southeastern Conference’s rowdiest venues, athletic director Scott Stricklin said Thursday.

Days after sending a survey to gauge “what matters most to Gator fans” while shaping “the future vision of The Swamp,” Stricklin told reporters that capacity will remain at 88,548.

Stricklin stopped short of providing many other details, saying formal renderings, seating concepts, total project budget and a projected construction timeline will be released later this year.

But the survey stirred enough chatter that Stricklin wanted to make it clear that part of what has made Florida Field one of the toughest places to win over the last few decades won’t change.

The project is expected to touch nearly every aspect of an on-campus stadium that first opened in 1930. It has undergone several renovations since, including a $50 million expansion in 2003 that included the addition of 2,900 luxury club seats, an expanded press box and 34 new suites.

The University Athletic Association also completed a $28 million renovation in 2008 that included a new entryway to house trophies, an expanded strength and conditioning room and renovated football offices.

Florida’s football program has since moved completely out of the stadium and into an $85 million standalone facility that opened in 2022.

The Swamp, meanwhile, has been mostly untouched while Stricklin’s tenure has been filled with other facilities projects.

Since taking over as AD in 2016, Stricklin has overseen a $15 million renovation to the school’s softball stadium, a new baseball ballpark that cost $65 million, a renovated lacrosse and soccer facility, and improved infrastructure at track and tennis complexes.

But none of those will compare to Florida Field’s facelift, which is expected to be done in phases.

Stricklin previously said it would be “by far the most ambitious facility project not only the University of Florida has ever done from an athletic standpoint, but it might be the biggest in SEC history, maybe even as big as any nationally.”