Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field

Honoree

Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. arrived at the University of Florida in 1930 studying economics, agriculture and marketing. Eager to put his newly acquired knowledge to work, he departed three years later in 1933 without a degree. That same year, Griffin received a 10-acre citrus grove as a wedding present from his father and began his trek to become a giant in the citrus, packaging and cattle industries.

Over the years, Griffin amassed thousands of acres of land and expanded into other businesses, including fruit-packing plants, cattle ranches, grove caretaking operations, banks, an automobile dealership and timber and real estate enterprises. In 1948, he founded the family-run citrus grove and cattle business, Ben Hill Griffin, Inc. From 1973 to 1990, Griffin served as chairman of the board and majority shareholder of Alico, Inc., an agribusiness with divisions in citrus, cattle, mining, timber and land development. Griffin also had a hand in state politics and served in the Florida Legislature for more than 16 years.

Despite being named one of the Top 50 Most Important Floridians of the 20th Century, Griffin never forgot where he came from. He credited UF with his knowledge of marketing and reinvested millions back into the academic and athletic areas of his alma mater. He established scholarships in Gator athletics and an Eminent Scholar Chair in Agricultural Economics Marketing. In addition, his contributions funded renovations of Griffin-Floyd Hall. The University renamed the football stadium and an area of its Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, FL in his honor and awarded him a Distinguished Alumnus award in 1974. In 1979, he was inducted into the Citrus Hall of Fame, the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1987 and is featured on a plaque outside Shands Hospital.

Facility History

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field is the place to be on Saturdays during the fall. Also known as “the Swamp” where “only Gators come out alive,” the stadium is home to the SEC powerhouse University of Florida Gator Football Team.

The stadium was rededicated in September 1989 as Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field, in honor of UF benefactor Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. In August of 2003, the fifth renovation in the history of the stadium was completed and increased capacity to 88,548. The entire project cost $50 million and was built solely through private donations. The project made Florida Field the largest stadium in the state of Florida and one of the loudest anywhere in the country.