Inaugural "Tom Petty Day" to take place this weekend in Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Swamp will rock to the tune of Tom Petty this weekend as the Florida Gators will celebrate the inaugural Tom Petty Day at The Swamp in conjunction with Florida’s sold-out game against LSU Saturday.
The Gators (4-2, 1-2 SEC) will host the Tigers (4-2, 2-1 SEC) this weekend to renew their annual rivalry.
Gator Nation will honor the legendary music icon and Gainesville native all weekend long, starting Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Chomp the Block at Celebration Pointe, the official block party of the Florida Gators, and continuing Saturday before and during the game.
This marks the fifth anniversary of ‘I Won’t Back Down’ being played at the end of the third quarter and UF will be celebrating the Gainesville native all day long. The song was first played on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, against the LSU Tigers in which 90,000 fans sang along.
The university has also announced it will award the legendary icon an honorary Doctor of Music in May 2023.
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Tom Petty Day Details
Friday, October 14
- 6 – 10 p.m. | Chomp the Block at Celebration Pointe, the official block party of the Florida Gators
- Airstream pop-up shop featuring the Tom Petty Day X Florida Collection
- SiriusXM Tom Petty Radio, channel 31, will be broadcasting live outside Spurrier’s
Saturday, October 15 – pregame
Gator Walk Village
4 p.m. | North Lawn
- Airstream pop-up shop featuring the Tom Petty Day X Florida Collection
- Tom Petty Radio, channel 31, on SiriusXM will be broadcasting from the North Lawn outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
5:30 p.m. | General Public Gates Open
- ‘Tom Petty Day’ Interactive 360 video booth outside Gate 1 prior to the game.
- “Won’t Back Down” rally towels courtesy of T-Mobile for the first 10,000 fans in attendance.
- Limited-edition, souvenir cups commemorating ‘Tom Petty Day’ will be available at concession stands throughout the stadium.
In game
In-Game
- Hit songs and custom mixes from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee will be played throughout pregame and during breaks in the action.
- Don’t miss a Tom Petty themed performance by the Florida Gators Spirit Teams and a special halftime show by the UF Marching Band in tribute of the rock icon.
- “I Won’t Back Down” at the end of the 3rd Quarter Break
About Tom Petty
About Tom Petty
Over his 40-year career, Tom Petty became one of the biggest cultural icons in the world. In addition to the 13 studio albums he made with the Heartbreakers, Petty recorded 3 solo albums, including the acclaimed Full Moon Fever and Wildflowers.
Petty was also a member of the supergroup, Traveling Wilburys, and in the pre-Heartbreakers band, Mudcrutch. Hailed as one of the greatest rock artists of all time, Petty’s list of achievements include: multiple Grammy Award winner, 80+ million records sold, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Tom Petty passed away in 2017 shortly after completing his 40th-anniversary tour, but his music continues to reach fans, both new and old, around the world today with 4.8+ billion streams worldwide, 3+ million followers on Facebook, 768+ million views on YouTube, and millions of listeners to the Tom Petty Radio channel on SiriusXM.
