The University of Florida. The Foundation for The Gator Nation

When we created The Gator Nation campaign in the summer of 2005 our goal was to raise the awareness of what it meant to be a Florida Gator. Outstanding academic programs, a thriving student life, world-class athletics, and Gainesville, the best college town in America.

Dr. Machen believed we could achieve Top 10 status and perhaps even higher if we could only tell the UF story on a national stage. He put his money where his mouth was and allowed us to introduce a campaign that changed the paradigm in higher education, The Gator Nation!

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Aided by that campaign and the support of Gators around the world, UF has been named the Number 5 public university in the Nation. I couldn’t be prouder of my two-time alma mater and all the hard work that went into this accomplishment.

And just think, 16 years ago it was just a dream. Today there has never been a truer statement, The University of Florida is in Gainesville. The Gator Nation is everywhere!

Enjoy some of the early work that kicked off the campaign.