Ben Hill Griffin Stadium holds 88,548, which makes it the largest stadium in the state of Florida and the twelfth largest in college football, and it routinely announces crowds above 90,000. The record is 90,916. It opened in 1930 as Florida Field with 21,769 seats built into a natural depression on the north edge of campus, which is the origin of both the sunken bowl that traps the heat and noise and the nickname Steve Spurrier gave it in 1992. A $1.45 billion renovation begins after the 2026 season and will leave the capacity where it is.
| Official capacity | 88,548, since 2003 |
| Record attendance | 90,916 |
| 2025 average | 90,125, tenth in the country, on a 4 and 8 team |
| Opened | November 8, 1930, capacity 21,769, Alabama 20 to 0 |
| Original cost | $118,000, designed by Rudolph Weaver |
| Names | Florida Field 1930; Ben Hill Griffin Stadium 1989; Steve Spurrier-Florida Field 2016 |
| Renovation | About $1.45 billion, 2027 to 2030, capacity to stay at 88,548 |
How the Capacity Changed
| Year | Capacity | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 21,769 | Opened; the first 32 rows on three sides |
| 1950 | 40,116 | West stands |
| 1960 | 46,164 | Added seating |
| 1966 | 62,800 | East upper deck, the year Spurrier won the Heisman |
| 1982 | 72,000 | South end zone enclosed |
| 1991 | 83,000 | North end zone, a full bowl |
| 2003 | 88,548 | Suites and club seating, the current figure |
Renovations without capacity changes followed in 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2017. The playing surface was AstroTurf from 1971 to 1989 and has been grass since 1990.
Why It Is Called The Swamp
Spurrier coined the name in his third season as coach, in 1992, on the grounds that a swamp is hot, sticky and dangerous, and that Gators are comfortable in one and nobody else is. The stadium’s layout does the rest. The field sits below ground level in the depression the original architects built into, the stands rise steeply on all four sides after the 1991 enclosure, and September kickoffs in Gainesville regularly begin above 90 degrees with the humidity to match. Florida’s home record in the Spurrier and Meyer years was among the best in the country, which is what turned a nickname into a reputation.
The Names
Florida Field became Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in 1989, for a citrus magnate and donor, and the field was renamed Steve Spurrier-Florida Field in 2016 for the man who won a Heisman on it and coached the first national championship from its sideline. The full name is Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Nobody uses it. Our head coaches page covers Spurrier’s twelve seasons.
The Renovation
In June 2026 the university announced a rebuild of roughly $1.45 billion to run from 2027 through 2030, replacing the suites and premium areas, widening concourses, upgrading video and audio and adding hospitality space, while deliberately leaving the lower bowl alone so that the seats closest to the field, and the noise they generate, are untouched. Athletic director Scott Stricklin said capacity is planned to remain 88,548. It is the largest capital project in the program’s history and it will be built around a season that is being played.
The Home Field Since 1990
Florida averaged 90,125 in 2025 for a team that went 4 and 8, the tenth highest figure in the sport, which says something about the fan base that the record does not. The stadium has hosted the 1973 Tangerine Bowl and the 1994 Gator Bowl, and Jon Sumrall’s first game there is Florida Atlantic on September 5. Our Florida all time record page covers what has happened on the field.
The Bottom Line
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium holds 88,548, the largest in Florida, and has a record crowd of 90,916. It opened as Florida Field in 1930 with 21,769 seats, reached its current size in 2003, and got its nickname from Steve Spurrier in 1992 and his name on the field in 2016. A $1.45 billion renovation starts in 2027 and will not change the capacity.