Florida Gators, The Pride Of The University Of Florida By Bobby Brister At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

In 1851, Florida Governor Thomas Brown approved a bill to provide assistance to higher education. Two years later, Gilbert Kingsbury took advantage of that legislation and instituted the East Florida Seminary. The effort was closed during the American Civil War, but EFS would later become what we now know as the University of Florida.

When the Civil War ended, James Henry Roper offered his land to house the East Florida Seminary in Gainesville, where the University of Florida stands to this day. The university has come a long way since then, having become one of the most respected educational institutions in the world.

The University also has one of the best athletic programs in the nation. The Florida Gators represent the university in Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and has been a leader in the SEC for the past twenty years. Overall, they have seventeen teams, seven for men and ten for women. All the teams have top-notch facilities, including football, baseball, basketball, and softball. No wonder you can find Florida Gators merchandise just abut anywhere you look.

The Gators have a strong football team, holding the record for the most wins in the 1990s. Since the formation of the team in 1906, the Gators have appeared in thirty-four bowl games. They have also contributed quite a few All-American, and three Gators have received the Heisman Trophy. The team has a total of seven Southeastern Conference championships, and have numerous players who have gone on to the National Football League.

There was little success in the men’s basketball team up until the early 90s, when Lon Kruger took over the coaching of the team in 1993, leading the Gators to the National Invitation Tournament of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Kruger left after a losing record and was replaced by Billy Donovan. When Donovan took over the program, things were looking brighter. After his third season, the Gator’s men basketball has reached the NCAA tournament eight years in a row, from 2001 to 2008.

The Florida baseball team had its best season ever in 2005, making an appearance in the College World Series. However, the following years were tough; head coach Pat McMahon was fired and 2007 and Kevin O’Sullivan took over.

The Gator softball team is also doing well. They recently reached the College World Series in May 2008.

Aside from that, they also have the strongest Volleyball team. The Florida Gators, under the leadership of May Wise, has garnered several achievements including seventeen consecutive SEC division banners for the regular season and fourteen titles for SEC tournament.

Almost all Florida sports have excelled in many ways. They have produced some of the great women tennis players and have also won team titles in golf four times.

The athletic program of the University of Florida is just one of the indications of its growth since its establishment in 1853. Some of the teams in different sports had tough years; however, they have also contributed some glorious years for the institution. The university is the Alma Mater of many successful professional athletes in the major leagues. That alone is a strong sense of pride for the university.

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