Florida Gators lead nation in spring game attendance amid national decline in 2025
While spring game attendance plummeted across much of the college football landscape in 2025, the Florida Gators defied the trend with the highest turnout in the country.
According to The Gainesville Sun, 56,563 fans packed Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, also known as the Swamp, for Florida football's annual Orange and Blue Game. This year's attendance marked the program's largest spring crowd since 2009.
The turnout came during a time when many college football programs scaled back or eliminated spring games entirely. Despite that, Florida embraced the moment, using the game not only to showcase a promising roster for next season, but also to celebrate its men's basketball national championship with a halftime ceremony.
Head coach Billy Napier's Gators are riding a wave of momentum into the summer. Much of the excitement centers around quarterback DJ Lagway. Lagway's presence alone drew significant attention, and fans got their first glimpse of what he could bring to the field in the fall.
The Gators weren't the only school to draw a crowd, but they easily outpaced other major programs.
The Ohio State Buckeyes reported 40,136 attendees, its lowest spring turnout since 2021. The Michigan Wolverines drew an estimated 40,000. The Oregon Ducks, Tennessee Volunteers and South Carolina Gamecocks surpassed the 30,000 mark, but the Orange and Blue stood alone at the top.
While many coaches around the country reevaluate the risks and rewards of spring games, Florida football made a clear statement: the passion in Gainesville is alive and well.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
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