If you’re headed to Gainesville Saturday, October 5th, for the Gators home game against the UCF Knights, you get a special treat! For the third consecutive year, the Gators will honor Tom Petty with his own day at The Swamp.
Tom Petty’s music and videos will be played at the stadium before the game and during breaks in the action. There will also be limited-edition Petty-themed Gators merchandise sold at the stadium, at the University of Florida on-campus bookstore, and online at FloridaGators.com and TomPetty.com. Items include t-shirts, hats, jerseys, and helmets.
Not only was Tom Petty a Gainesville native, when he was young he worked as a groundskeeper at the University of Florida and played at various venues around Gainesville before moving to LA to pursue his music career.
After Tom Petty’s death on October 2nd, 2017, the Gators began playing “I Won’t Back Down” between the 3rd and 4th quarters of their home games at The Swamp and has become a fan favorite.