At Saturday’s UF vs. University of Tennessee football game, Gators cheered "It’s great to be a Florida Gator," but the band didn’t initiate the penalty chant, "Move back, you suck."
University Athletic Association assistant communications director Daniel Apple wrote in an email that the "You Can’t Do That" song was banned to promote respect toward visiting teams.
When Julie Popp left the game, she said she wondered why the UF Fightin’ Gator Marching Band didn’t play the music that accompanies the chant. The 54-year-old asked her son, Andrew Popp, a UF senior and member of the band, why the song wasn’t played, but he didn’t know.
Julie Popp emailed director of athletic bands Jay Watkins, who responded the UAA banned the song because it promoted bad sportsmanship, she said.
Watkins has not returned requests for comment as of press time.
But Julie Popp said she thinks the ban is ridiculous.
"I think a couple boosters are upset that some of the students chant ‘move back, you suck,’ and they were powerful enough to get it changed," she said.
UF philosophy freshman Bailey Underill said she was sad when she found out about the ban through the app Yik Yak, where students post anonymously.
The 18-year-old said it’s her favorite chant because it gets UF fans riled up.
"I know a bunch of people are going to chant it at the Ole Miss game no matter if the band plays it or not," she said.
Contact Alexandra Fernandez at afernandez@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @alexmfern
