After last year's lack of a musical act, Gator Growl will be bringing in The Goo Goo Dolls to rock the crowd at this year's homecoming celebration.
The Goo Goo Dolls, who will cost Gator Growl $110,000, became the top choice, beating out Maroon 5, Kings of Leon and Bruno Mars.
"If we are going to keep Gator Growl affordable to show up to, we just don't have the budget to get some of these major bands," said Aaron Heger, director of Gator Growl."But I would say compared to past years, we made a much bigger effort to really go after those really big name bands if it was feasible."
He said according to the student and alumni surveys, people wanted to see a rock band over a hip-hop artist.
The Goo Goo Dolls were a top-five choice on the student survey and a top-three choice on the alumni survey.
"The best part about The Goo Goo Dolls is that they appeal to students. They appeal to the younger alumni that grew up listening to them, and they are the type of band, whether you are a younger kid or older alumni, you can listen to this music and enjoy it," Heger said.
No comedian has been announced as of yet. Options include Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon.
The comedic act will be announced by the end of summer, or at the latest on Aug. 22, when ticket sales will begin, he said.
Student tickets will cost $15 and general admission tickets will cost $25, with both ticket prices increasing by $5 the week of the show.
All seating will be first-come-first-served. The host of Gator Growl has not been announced, but Heger said he hopes to find someone who can host like Danny Wuerffel did two years ago.
"There are a lot of directions to the position that we haven't narrowed down exactly how we would like to fulfill that role," he said. "But some type of host to come and help the show flow a little more is next on our priority list."
The Goo Goo Dolls, formed in 1986, have been nominated for four Grammy Awards, produced 14 top-10 singles and sold almost nine million albums in the United States alone.
Gator Growl, the largest student-run pep rally, is in its 88th year and celebrates everything orange and blue with UF-themed skits and acts the night before the UF homecoming football game.
The show will be held Nov. 4 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and will start at 7 p.m.
