Florida Gators show off new LED lights at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Saturday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will look different this week. For the first time ever, the Florida Gators will have new LED lights capable of projecting different colors than the Gators’ old system.
Saturday, Florida released a promotional video with a quick sneak peek of the new lights in action.
Florida Gators Athletic Director Scott Stricklin and the University Athletic Association are in the planning phase of proposed $400 million renovation to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Ben HIll Griffin Stadium is coming up on its 100 year birthday and in need of a few upgrades.
“We’ve conducted a number of studies over the last five-plus years about what the future could look like for Ben Hill Griffin Stadium,” said Athletics Director Scott Stricklin. “We’ve engaged with vendors that specialize in iconic venues and stadium experience for both fans and players while offering a variety of solutions. It is now time to take that information and engage with an architect who can present renovation, construction and phasing options for The Swamp.”
“We’re in the service business; we don’t make widgets,” Stricklin said. “We create experiences, whether it’s for our student-athletes, our staff and ultimately for Gator Nation. So, when you are in the service business, there’s not a lot of tangible results. It’s a lot of intangible results.”
The facility first opened in 1930 as Florida Field and was named Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in 1989. The cost of construction for the original 21,769-seat facility was $118,000.
In 2016, the playing surface was renamed in honor of former Florida quarterback and head coach Steve Spurrier, who coined “The Swamp” nickname after the 1991 season. The facility’s official name is now Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The stadium has expanded five times (1950: 40,116; 1965-66: 62,800; 1982: 72,000; 1991: 83,000; 2003: 88,548-present) and received four renovations (1998: $5 million, 2003: $50 million; 2007: $28 million; 2012: 4.7 million) along with multiple facility upgrades.
Gators join other SEC schools with new lighting system
Alabama added an LED lighting system prior to the 2018 season. Georgia added a system of their own prior to the 2019 season.
Georgia’s lights cost a reported $950,000.
About TechLine
Florida used the same company that installed a new lighting system at Oklahoma prior to the 2022 season.
For more than 20 years, Techline Sports Lighting has been a nationwide leader in sports lighting solutions. From professional and college stadiums, to high school fields and municipal sports complexes, Techline Sports Lighting offers a complete range of sports lighting solutions.
![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier walks during the first half at the Orange and Blue spring football game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, April 13, 2024. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://on3static.com/cdn-cgi/image/height=215,width=393,quality=90,fit=cover,gravity=0.5x0.5/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/04/18141240/Untitled-design-72-2.png)
