Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

Introduction

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Ben Hill Griffin Field has served as the home of the Florida Gators for nine decades. Constructed in response to the growing popularity of college football and the need for larger spectator capacity, the stadium was originally built to hold just over 20,000 fans and was named "Florida Field" in honor of fallen WWI service members. The stadium was expanded numerous times in the decades that followed, and by 1979, the stadium had undergone numerous renovations which expanded capacity to over 70,000 fans and renamed "Ben Hill Griffin Field." The seating capacity as of 2020 is nearly 90,000.

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Ben Hill Griffin Field

Backstory and Context

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Home to the Florida Gators, Ben Hill Griffin Field, Originally Florida Field, was constructed in 1930 in Gainseville Florida. Out of the need for more seating capacity, a new stadium was designed and on April 16th, 1930, construction began. By October of that same year, construction was complete and Florida Stadium was opened. Named in honor of fallen WWI service members, Florida Field later became Ben Hill Griffin Field after numerous renovations and additions to seating capacity, Florida Field grew from just over 20,000 available seats to over 70,000 seats by 1979 when the stadium was renamed to Ben Hill Griffin Field. Since its renaming, Ben Hill Griffin Field has gone on to host a plethora of notable college football and Florida Gator football games including the Florida Gators national championship years of 2006 through 2008.

Sources

Ben Hill Griffin Field. (2020, November 29). Retrieved from www.Football.Ballparks.com: http://football.ballparks.com/NCAA/Florida/index.htm

Image Sources(Click to expand)

football.ballparks.com