Florida Gators welcomed back to campus after winning championship

Florida Gator fans welcomed home their basketball team after winning the national championship.

The team’s arrival was delayed, causing the celebration to start later than scheduled.

Coach Todd Golden and player Walter Clayton Jr. briefly addressed the crowd.

On a beautiful Tuesday afternoon, Florida Gator fans waited for more than two hours to see the newly crowned champions of college basketball.

 

Thousands of students and fans packed Flavet Field on the University of Florida campus to welcome the team home from the Final Four in San Antonio.

 

The celebration was scheduled to start at about 1:30 p.m., however, the Gators were delayed more than an hour in leaving San Antonio, and landed at Gainesville Regional Airport just after 2 p.m.

 

At about 2:15, it was announced to the crowd that the team had landed and would be arriving soon at the rally.

 

From there, groans and laughter followed with some fans leaving the rally upset and others yelling in surprise.

 

“Start already!” some fans yelled.

 

The team finally took the stage at 3:15 but only stayed for about 15 minutes.

 

Voice of the Gators, Sean Kelley, opened with an apology for the team’s late arrival.

 

“We had a little trouble in San Antonio,” Kelley said. “So, thank you for waiting for us to come home to you.”

 

Kelley said a celebration will take place this Saturday before the Orange and Blue spring football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

 

“We’re going to change the schedule a little bit,” Kelley said. “We’re going to start the day with a real blowout celebration of this championship.”

 

Kelley said the University of Florida will announce details Wednesday on how fans can celebrate the “Gatorpalooza.”

 

Kelley then welcomed head coach Todd Golden to the stage, who said the feeling is unbelievable and that he is ecstatic to bring a “chip” to Gainesville.

 

“Thank you so much for being here right now!” Golden said. “I know myself, the staff and the players appreciate y’all more than you know. Go Gators, baby!”

 

Kelley asked Golden how good it felt when forward Alex Condon jumped on the loose ball in the last few seconds of the game to secure the Gators’ two-point win against Houston.

 

“Sean, it felt pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good,” Golden jokingly said while impersonating “Curb Your Enthusiasm” creator and actor Larry David.

 

Kelley then brought guard Walter Clayton Jr. to the front of the stage and asked what was going through his mind when the confetti began to fall.

 

“All I could think was, ‘Gator boys stay hot,’ ” Clayton Jr said with a smile.

 

Before the rally began, fans waited in line for a complementary championship poster, bought championship merchandise, listened to music from a DJ and the Gator basketball band, and watched a performance by the Dazzlers.