There was only one play at the Gators’ season opener Saturday, but there was still plenty of action at the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The game’s early termination didn’t stop three people from getting arrested and 22 people from being ejected, according to University Police.
None of the gameday arrests involved UF students. Two were for battery charges, and one arrest involved resisting without violence.
Of the 22 people who were ejected, 16 were UF students.
The ejections included five people in possession of alcohol, one person without a ticket, four people who ran onto the field, four people accused of disorderly conduct, four for intoxication, two for ticket switching, one for sitting in the wrong section and one for pushing a fan, according to the press release.
UPD Captain Bart Knowles said, overall, Gators fans are pretty well-behaved.
“Every game, we’re going to have someone who drinks too much and makes poor choices, but we traditionally have really great fans at UF,” Knowles said. “They’re very animated, loud, noisy and excited.”
Knowles said running onto the field during a game is a rare occasion. The four people who did were contained and automatically ejected.
Due to rain and lightning, a voluntary shelter was set up at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Knowles said at its peak, about 2,000 people sought shelter there.
Most people waited in the sheltered concourse by the food and beverage vendors, according to Knowles.
“They hung out, drank Cokes and waited to see what was going to happen,” he said.
Sarah Hoover, a 21-year-old UF marketing senior who grew up a Gators fan, said she stayed the entire game, rain and all. She had front row seats and gave her cowboy boots and phone to her friend who left before her, leaving her barefoot.
“I knew it would be one of the greatest experiences if we all waited through ‘all kinds of weather’ to support our team after last year and help them start the season off right,” she said.
Throughout the game, the storm’s radar was displayed on the Jumbotron. Announcer Mick Hubert repeatedly updated fans with weather information and surrounding lightning strikes.
The game was officially canceled shortly after 10 p.m.
“We have some of the greatest fans in the world,” Knowles said. “They are the loudest but also some of the best behaved.”
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 9/2/2014 under the headline "Two dozen removed from game"]
