Fleming Field (Gainesville)

rdf:langString Fleming Field (Gainesville)

rdf:langString Fleming Field

rdf:langString A Gator football game at Fleming Field circa 1924

rdf:langString Fleming Field

rdf:langString Fleming Field (originally known as University Athletic Field) was the first on-campus home for the football and baseball teams representing the University of Florida in Gainesville. Construction began in 1910, and the facility debuted as the home field for Florida Gators outdoor sports programs during the spring semester of the 1910-1911 academic year. University Athletic Field had limited spectator seating and primitive amenities when first opened. Larger bleachers were installed in 1915, when it was renamed "Fleming Field" in honor of a former governor of Florida, and a track for the university's new track and field program was added in 1923. However, its maximum capacity never exceeded about 5,000 with standing room, and as the Florida football program grew in national prominence during the 1920s, university leaders saw a need for a modern stadium. Florida Field was constructed adjacent to Fleming Field in 1930 as the new home of the university's football and track programs, and the baseball team moved to nearby Perry Field in 1949. Fleming Field continued to be used for general student recreation until 1991, when a major expansion of the north endzone of Florida Field extended the structure well onto the Gators' old playing surface. Today, the remaining portion of Fleming Field is the landscaped northern approach to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. On football gamedays, the grassy area is used for parking and tailgating, and the brick walkway cutting across Fleming Field is the site of the pregame Gator Walk.