Carter’s Corner: Gators Produce a Hit as UF Celebrities Introduce 2024 Football Schedule.
Sean Kelley, the voice of the Gators on the radio, could be heard broadcasting from The Swamp when you clicked on the video that was released on Wednesday night to reveal Florida’s football schedule for 2024. Steve Spurrier, the Gators’ ambassador, then made an appearance on screen and gave a brief introduction.
Steve Spurrier, also referred to as the Head Ball Coach, greeted the audience. “And I’m here today with some other fellow Gators to reveal our 2024 football schedule.”
By then, you might have anticipated seeing UF President Ben Sasse, Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, or Gators head coach Billy Napier appear on screen. Still, it’s possible that Spurrier invited well-liked Gators Albert and Alberta to announce the schedule on those big cardboard signs you see on the sidelines every Saturday. Given that they are speechless, you know.
All you likely didn’t have on your bingo card, though, was whatever you had anticipated. First up in the four-minute clip is The Weather Channel’s Stephanie Abrams, a graduate of Florida. Aug. 31 is the season opener for the Miami Hurricanes at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Kevin Camps, the assistant athletic director for creative services at UF, stated, “We wanted to showcase the breadth of the Gator Nation and highlight some of our notable alumni, beyond the obvious of trying to take a creative approach.” “We are grateful that so many well-known Gators who are prominent figures in their industries took time out of their hectic schedules to be in the video. We are also fortunate to have so many successful Gators in these fields.
Naturally, having Coach Spurrier introduce the video was the ideal way to bring everything together. It was masterfully put together by our creative team, and we hope that our fans found it entertaining. “This situation seems appropriate for a two-thumbs-up emoji, based on social media response. Olympic swimmer Caleb Dressel arrives poolside to announce Samford as the Gators’ upcoming opponent, just as Abrams leaves with a Gator Chomp. You may wonder, where is this video going.
Let’s go straight to the set of “The Golden Bachelor,” where former Florida quarterback Jesse Palmer predicted that the third game of the following season would take place at home against Texas A&M. Palmer exclaims, “I am very excited to see the home crowd in Gainesville.” “It is going to be one of the most electrifying atmospheres of the entire year.”
The Head Ball Coach kept things going from his office inside The Swamp, with some of the most well-known Gators continuing to show up to announce the final nine games.
Actor Stephen Root handled UCF, Darrell Hammond of Saturday Night Live handled Mississippi State, and NBC’s Chris Collinsworth introduced Tennessee by verbally jabbing former Vols quarterback Peyton Manning in the ribs. Collinsworth gave Fox’s Erin Andrews a hard time on the field in Philadelphia while operating out of a TV booth at Lambeau Field.
The Texas, LSU, and Ole Miss games were announced by ESPN’s Laura Rutledge, tennis player Ben Shelton, and WWE star Thaddeus Bullard, following a bye week that Spurrier oversaw prior to the Georgia game. Finally, and most certainly not least, Florida State’s most well-known Gator of all time, Tim Tebow, introduced the game.
“Among the best rivalries,” Tebow remarked. “For the last game of the season, we get to head out west and play that other team.” The Gators won on Wednesday night, despite having a challenging schedule in 2024.