Florida Gators Revive 2020-Banned 'Gator Bait' Chant in Season Opener

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 7

Florida brought back the 'Gator Bait' chant during the opening weekend of the 2026 college football season, making the stands the most notable change in the Gators' first game under a new coach and quarterback.
2020 marked the chant's suspension after criticism tied the phrase to racist historical imagery, even as then-president Kent Fuchs said he knew of no evidence the UF cheer itself was used in a racist way.
Stuart Bell, Florida's new president, pushed the issue back into public discussion this summer, saying the chant is meaningful to the Gator family and signaling support for its return.
Lawrence Wright coined the chant in 1995, and its revival underscores how some schools are revisiting campus traditions dropped during the 2020 racial-justice backlash.