Gator basketball fans looking for a shot to support their team can do more than cheer at Saturday’s Tennessee game.
UF is involved in two basketball-themed online contests: the NCAA 6th Fan contest and the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge.
The NCAA 6th Fan contest is a competition that decides which school has the most supportive basketball fans.
Gabriella Razzetti, a 21-year-old UF sport management senior, said the Gators’ success at home is due, in large part, to the fans.
“There’s no other arena like ours in the country,” she said, “and our fans and our school deserve to be recognized as having an impact on the players and the game itself.”
Florida fans can vote for the Gators daily at 6thFan.NCAA.com and on Twitter by including the hashtags #6thFan and #FLA. The winning school, which will receive $100,000, will be announced March 16.
UF is also involved in the fourth-annual Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge, in which fans vote for men’s basketball coaches who are teamed up with a charity of their choice.
Gators coach Billy Donovan is partnering with the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation for the fourth consecutive year.
Donovan and the foundation won the inaugural challenge in 2011, raising money to contribute to the ongoing renovation of the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.
Linda Michalisin, a spokeswoman for Sebastian Ferrero Foundation, said Donovan has helped give the organization a national platform.
“He’s been an incredible champion for the cause at helping to raise awareness,” she said.
First-round voting runs through Sunday, allowing voters to choose among 48 coach-and-charity pairs, which have already been guaranteed a donation of at least $1,000, according the contest’s website.
Beside the winning charity’s grand prize, other participating charities will also receive smaller donations.
“What’s great about this program is that all the participating charities benefit, not just the one with the most votes at the end,” Denver Parler, University Athletic Association assistant director of communications, wrote in an email.
Fans can vote and find out more about the contest at ESPN.com/Infiniti. For more on the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation, visit SebastianFerrero.org.
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 1/24/2014 under the headline "Gator basketball fans compete "]
