No Madness for Florida This Year

[Wildcat Larry]

The lights are going down on one of Florida basketball's most festive nights.

Florida has decided not to hold its annual Midnight Madness this year, school officials confirmed Thursday.

"I just thought that at midnight it makes it hard for our fans," UF coach Billy Donovan said. "We have been doing it for so long, I thought it might be good to do something different."

Instead, the Florida men's basketball team will hold a Fan Appreciation Day on the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 21 in the O'Connell Center. The event will feature an open scrimmage and an autograph session for fans, according to Mike Hill, UF associate athletics director in charge of external affairs.

UF is expected to make an official announcement regarding the changes next week.

gatorsports.com (http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20070928/NEWS/709280333/1016)

[matt colvin]

Well....I just don't know what to say about that. That's odd for sure. Attendance a possible reason?

[Grub]

Attendance a possible reason?

Yeah, I believe it has something with Tim Tebow having a previous engagement or something like that. :icon_mrgreen:

[TransientAlum]

Yeah, I believe it has something with Tim Tebow having a previous engagement or something like that. :icon_mrgreen:

Billy's Dad and kids said they couldn't make it to both and he wouldn't like their decision.

[Dwight Schrute]

Florida's 800 basketball fans are saddened.

[JayB]

Florida's 800 basketball fans are saddened.

LMAO Post of the week rite there

[KWICD]

Wait, he will change his mind. Again.

[jkeller]

Florida fans must have an early bedtime. Even our geriatric fans stay up for midnight madness.

[84Cat]

He'll change his mind!

[KapitalCat]

Weird. KY does no longer holds in BBN at Midnight. Doesn't ours start around 9 PM? Sounds like they are going low key this year.

[Radiated]

Two things about this.

1. Billy D doesn't want to hear the boos early.

2. They are not going to be the team that they have the last 2 years. Or even close.

[bigjeep]

A lot of schools are droping madness. WKU will have a red/white scrimage this yr instead...

[RP_McMurphy]

Billy D. taint no dummy and didn't want the nation to see his lack of fan support.

[Josh]

Nobody cares about Florida basketball. The only reason they were getting any support from the fans at all was because they were winning, but they still don't care all that much, IMO. Now that this is a pretty young and new team, the interest level is going to drop even more.

[Little Kitty]

I hope they don't stop ours next year! Being a member of the geriatric crowd is that I had a ball camping out and hope to be able to do it again next year!

[Got_Billie_G?]

Don't worry Kitty, we were the first to do it and no other program in the nation has 24,000 people attending the event...they will never stop Big Blue Madness...

[Jazz]

donavan had a meeting with th esacromento king at midnight so he had to change it:icon_lol:

[CyberCat]

Florida's 800 basketball fans are saddened.

Quite possibly the funniest thing i've read. Ever.

[BigBlue75]

Darn.