Albert and Alberta Gator
Albert and Alberta Gator | |
---|---|
Albert (left), and Alberta (right), mascots of the Florida Gators. | |
University | University of Florida |
Conference | SEC |
Description | Anthropomorphic American alligators |
First seen | 1970 (Albert), 1984 (Alberta) |
Albert Gator and Alberta Gator are the official mascots of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Costumed in plush, Albert and Alberta are Florida representations of American alligators, which are commonly found throughout the state of Florida.
History
The University of Florida fielded its first official intercollegiate sports team (football) in the fall of 1906. It adopted orange and blue as its official colors, combining the blue and white of the former Florida Agricultural College in Lake City with the orange and black of the former East Florida Seminary in Gainesville, the university's two oldest predecessor institutions. The football team did not initially have an official nickname or mascot, and was often referred to as the "Orange and Blue" or "Pee Wee's Boys," after the team's first head coach, Jack "Pee Wee" Forsythe.
In 1908, local merchant Phillip Miller and his son Austin Miller, with no official sanction from the university or athletic association, selected the alligator as an emblem to represent the university on pennants offered for sale in Miller's Gainesville store. With the state of Florida being home to millions of alligators, the "gator" proved a popular choice among members of the student body, and the Florida football team began to refer to itself as the "Gators" during the 1911 fall season.
A live alligator named Albert first appeared at football games during the 1957 season, and served as the mascot of the football team on the field before the costumed version of Albert became the mascot in 1970.[1] He was joined by a female version, Alberta, in 1984.[2] They often appear as a couple, but also appear alone.[3]
In 2015, UF announced that Albert and Alberta would receive new costumes. As far as cosmetic changes, the Gator pair's eyes were "opened more" and the block "F" was replaced by a stylized "F" used on other Florida Gator marketing.[4] The primary focus, however, was to design costumes that were more lightweight and better suited for the students performing in Florida's hot weather.[4]
In popular culture
Like many college mascots, Albert and Alberta have made appearances in the highlights of national sports and highlight shows. The most notable appearance of either was in early 2006, when Albert was featured in a This is SportsCenter commercial. He walked out of an elevator and became the object of Steve Irwin's reptile wrangling tendencies.
In June 2007, Sports Illustrated On Campus ranked Albert as the No. 1 mascot in their "Mascot Power Rankings." [5]
Mascot Books has published three children's books featuring Albert and Alberta, entitled Hello, Albert!, Albert's Journey Through the Sunshine State and Albert and Alberta's Game Day Rules.
The mascots both have their own unique personalities and characteristics.[6][7]
References
- ^ History of the Gator Archived 2010-02-06 at the Wayback Machine University Athletic Association
- ^ Top 10 traditions every UF football fan must know[permanent dead link] Independent Florida Alligator
- ^ "University of Florida Mascot Program" Archived 2007-09-21 at the Wayback Machine University of Florida Athletic Department.
- ^ a b Hutchins, Andy (2015-07-17). "Florida Gators mascots Albert, Alberta getting new costumes". Alligator Army. Archived from the original on 2016-05-06. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
- ^ "Mascot Power Rankings" Archived 2007-09-13 at the Wayback Machine Sports Illustrated On Campus.
- ^ Spirit, Florida. "Albert". Florida Spirit. University Athletics Association. Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ Spirit, Florida. "Alberta". Florida Gators. Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
External links
- Albert wrestles with Steve Irwin in a retired Sportscenter commercial
- "The Evolution of Albert". Florida Magazine. University of Florida. March 8, 2012. Archived from the original on October 8, 2014.
- v
- t
- e
- Accounting
- Arts
- Graduate School of Business
- Agricultural and Life Sciences
- Building Construction
- Business
- Dentistry
- Design, Construction and Planning
- Education
- Engineering
- Health and Human Performance
- Journalism and Communications
- Law
- Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Medicine
- Medicine-Jacksonville
- Nursing
- Pharmacy
- Public Health and Health Professions
- Veterinary Medicine
development
- Askew Institute
- Bridge Software Institute
- Cancer Hospital
- Cancer and Genetics Research Complex
- George A. Smathers Libraries
- Catalog of Digital Historical Newspapers
- Cedar Key Light
- Digital Collection
- Emerging Pathogens Institute
- Floral Genome Project
- Florida Digital Newspaper Library
- Florida Institute for Sustainable Energy
- Florida Journal of International Law
- Florida Lakewatch
- Government Documents Department
- Gran Telescopio Canarias
- Infectious Disease Pharmacokinetics Laboratory
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
- International Farming Systems Collection
- Journal of Law & Public Policy
- Journal of Technology Law & Policy
- Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
- Lake Nona Medical City
- Lawton Chiles Legal Information Center
- Library of Judaica
- Library West
- Mag Lab
- Marston Science Library
- McKnight Brain Institute
- Oral History Program
- Panama and the Canal Collection
- P. K. Yonge Research School
- Rosemary Hill Observatory
- Sanford-Burnham Institute
- Scripps Research
- Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator
- Smathers Library
- Trusopt
- UFHSA
- University of Florida Health
- UF Training Reactor
- Whitney Marine Lab
Teams | |
---|---|
Arenas and stadiums |
|
Culture and lore |
- The Independent Florida Alligator
- Subtropics
- WUFT TV
- WUFT FM / WJUF
- WRUF AM
- WRUF FM
- WRUF LD
- University Press of Florida
- Baughman Center
- Carleton Auditorium
- Century Tower
- Constans Theatre
- Cooperative Living Organization
- Florida Gymnasium
- Florida Museum of Natural History
- Harn Museum of Art
- Historic District
- The Hub
- Lake Alice
- Liberty Pond
- Norman Gym
- Norman Tunnel
- O'Connell Center
- Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
- Peabody Hall
- Plaza of the Americas
- President's House
- Reitz Student Union
- RTS Campus Service
- Southwest Recreation Center
- Student Health Care Center
- Tigert Hall
- UFPD Headquarters
- University Auditorium
Academic spaces |
|
---|
Student housing |
|
---|