{"id":19495,"date":"2026-06-11T15:35:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T15:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/19495\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T15:35:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T15:35:10","slug":"florida-gators-unveil-1-45-billion-swamp-renovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/19495\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida Gators unveil $1.45 billion Swamp renovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

GAINESVILLE \u2014 Florida\u2019s long-awaited renovation<\/a> of Ben Hill Griffin will cost $1.45 billion, an unprecedented, eye-popping price tag to overhaul one of college football\u2019s most iconic venues.<\/p>\n

UF announced Thursday the comprehensive, multi-phase project is set to begin after the 2026 season and be completed by the 2030 season.<\/p>\n

The overhaul is vast and ambitious, but aims to maintain the current capacity of 88,548<\/a> while preserving the spirit of the Swamp \u2014 the nickname\u00a0Steve Spurrier<\/a> bestowed on one of the best game-day atmospheres in college football.<\/p>\n

In a letter to alumni, Board of Trustees chair Mori Hosseini wrote the project \u201cwill breathe new life into one of the nation\u2019s most iconic college football venues and elevate it into the premier collegiate athletic destination that sets the standard for everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin<\/a> addressed the board Thursday morning to discuss the most expensive renovation in the history of college athletics.<\/p>\n

The project aims to maintain the Swamp\u2019s historic character, including orange Wing Walls and the close fan-to-field experiend\u00a0 at a stadium ranked\u00a010th in attendance over the past five years<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery decision throughout the design process has been evaluated through the lens of preserving and amplifying the energy that makes Ben Hill Griffin Stadium unique,\u201d Stricklin said. \u201cThe design will maintain the intimacy of the seating bowl, preserve the proximity of fans to the field, and continue to create the intimidating environment that has defined Florida Football for generations. We are not diminishing what makes The Swamp special \u2014 we are strengthening it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Renderings<\/p>\n

Renderings of the $1.45 billion renovation of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium set to begin after the 2026 season and be completed in 2030. (University of Florida)<\/p>\n

\"Renderings<\/p>\n

Renderings of the $1.45 billion renovation of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium set to begin after the 2026 season and be completed in 2030. (University of Florida)<\/p>\n

\"Renderings<\/p>\n

Renderings of the $1.45 billion renovation of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium set to begin after the 2026 season and be completed in 2030. (University of Florida)<\/p>\n

\"Renderings<\/p>\n

Renderings of the $1.45 billion renovation of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium set to begin after the 2026 season and be completed in 2030. (University of Florida)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 4<\/p>\n

Renderings of the $1.45 billion renovation of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium set to begin after the 2026 season and be completed in 2030. (University of Florida)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

Thursday morning UF\u2019s committee on facilities and capital investment approved Legends Global to help guide strategic planning and execution of the massive project. Manhattan Construction Group and Hunt Construction Group will partner as the construction management team.<\/p>\n

A day after it appointed former University of Alabama president Stuart Bell to serve as UF\u2019s next president,<\/a> the board is scheduled to vote whether to approve the project near the conclusion of Thursday\u2019s annual meeting.<\/p>\n

Funding is expected to come through a combination of private donations, capital reserves and long-term debt, with final approval of the Florida Board of Governors anticipated in the fall, when\u00a0coach Jon Sumrall\u2019s first season<\/a> with the Gators is underway.<\/p>\n

The expected improvements will include more accessible concessions, improved restroom access, better traffic flow throughout the stadium, upgraded technology and additional gathering spaces.\u00a0To comply with American Disability Act standards, widened aisles and handrails will add to the stadium\u2019s lower bowl, thereby forcing seats to be moved higher in the stadium structure.<\/p>\n

Completed in October 1930, Florida Field originally had a capacity of 21,769. Over the years, the stadium expanded many times, with the last major project a $50 million renovation of the west side of the stadium in 2005.<\/p>\n

Approaching his 10-year anniversary as AD<\/a> in November, Stricklin is determined to ensure the centerpiece of UF\u2019s campus remains among the sport\u2019s premier venues and top money makers well into the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Swamp is one of the most iconic stadiums in American sports,\u201d he said. \u201cIt serves as the front porch of our athletics program, a symbol of the University of Florida, and the setting for some of the most memorable moments in our institution\u2019s history. This renovation represents an investment in the future of one of the nation\u2019s premier football programs, an investment in the experience of our fans and students, and an investment in a facility that will continue to serve the University of Florida for decades to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"GAINESVILLE \u2014 Florida\u2019s long-awaited renovation of Ben Hill Griffin will cost $1.45 billion, an unprecedented, eye-popping price tag…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19496,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[2122,2845,294,8152,6446,898,8153,56],"class_list":["post-19495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ben-griffin","tag-ben-griffin","tag-college-sports","tag-florida","tag-florida-gators","tag-gainesville","tag-latest-headlines","tag-social-sports","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19495\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}