Florida just revived “Gator Bait.”
And somehow, this feels bigger than a college football chant.
The tradition was shelved in 2020 after the university cited historical racist imagery associated with the phrase. Six years later, it returned during Florida’s season opener against FAU.
The response?
The Swamp went absolutely nuts.
That’s what happens when you take something away from people for six years and then give it back.
I’m not interested in pretending every college tradition needs to be sanitized, renamed or buried because someone might find it offensive.
Sometimes a football chant is just a football chant.
And “Gator Bait” is about as Florida as it gets.
Former Florida player Lawrence Wright helped popularize the phrase in 1995 after a win over Florida State. It became part of the fabric of Gators football long before somebody decided it needed to disappear.
So welcome back, Gator Bait.
The people who wanted it gone probably aren’t thrilled.
Gator fans?
They look pretty damn happy.
