HBO’s series premiere of “24/7 College Football” kicks off tonight, giving Gators fans the chance to see behind the scenes of Florida football like never before.
The hour-long special will provide viewers with an all-access look into the rigorous preparation of the Florida football team as they prepared to take on the Towson Tigers Saturday. Viewers can tune in today at 10 p.m. on HBO to catch the action.
“Our days were long,” Matthew Chase, a producer for HBO Sports, said. “But that’s only because everyone who works around this team’s days were long.”
The Gators were clear favorites leading up to last week’s matchup, but that did not affect how they prepared for the game, Chase said.
The show provides fans with a thorough look into the fast-paced, detail-oriented schedule of the Florida Gators practice week leading up to gameday.
“Anyone who is a fan of Florida Gator football will love seeing how dedicated their favorite players have to be to play this game,” he said.
The episode provides a comprehensive view into the detailed planning that has been instrumental in the Gators’ success thus far.
“We learned how hard everyone in the program works,” Chase said. “Not just the players and coaches, but also the administrative staff, equipment managers, nutritionists, grounds crew and many more.”
The special doesn’t only look at what happens within the confines of Florida’s football facilities, but outside of them as well.
“The show will give an in-depth look into some of the personalities and stories of people around the program,” Chase said. “From spending time with Feleipe Franks on the day of his surgery, to seeing what some of the guys do for fun after practice, viewers will get to feel the ups and downs that a football team goes through throughout a week.”
Even with the increased media presence, the Gators kept focus as if it were any other week of practice.
“I don’t think the cameras fazed many of the guys on the team,” Chase said. “To be honest, I think they had a lot of fun.”
Gator fans can also look forward to team’s pregame routine, a part of a series that Patrick Dimon, a cameraperson on the show, said he had the most fun documenting.
“From the team pregame - locker room, warm ups, speeches, pads being on, music blasting - you could feel the excitement increasing as the kickoff approached,” Dimon said.
Dimon said the focus and discipline of the team was one of the most impressive parts about the program.
“We felt invisible in that we could be at practice or meetings and everyone was going about their business as if we weren't there,” he said. “Which is the beauty of the show.”
The intensity of Gators football will be brought to the forefront tonight, showing fans the process and routines that have fueled the team to a 4-0 record to begin its season.
“The scope of the program really surprised me: how many people and how many hours it takes to prepare a team for any given game,” said Chase. “It was pretty cool to see, and I think viewers will feel that when they see the show on Wednesday night.”
This week's episode of the HBO show "24/7 College Football" follows the Gators as the prepare to play the Towson Tigers.
