Monday, September 21, 2026

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026

VOLUME 121 - ISSUE 6 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

‘Gator Bait’ cheer returns to UF football games after 6 years

FLA 44, AUB 39

REVIVED FOR THE FIRST GAME OF THE 2026 SEASON, THE CHEER WAS PREVIOUSLY ABANDONED DUE TO THE PHRASE’S RACIST ORIGINS

By Sofia Garcia Alligator Staff Writer

Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff

Wide receiver Dallas Wilson (6) catches a touchdown pass during the second half of an NCAA college football game as Florida beat Auburn, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Auburn, Ala. Find this story in Sports on pg. 10.

When the tubas and trombones of the UF Fightin' Gator Marching Band played during the first quarter at UF’s Sept. 5 game against Florida Atlantic, a crowd of eager Gator fans loudly welcomed the return of the infamous “Gator Bait” cheer.

After being retired six years ago for its possible connection to racist imagery, the “Gator Bait” cheer was revived this season to mixed reactions when UF announced its origin was unrelated.

The cheer, during which fans Gator Chomp while yelling “Gator Bait,” was a Gator football tradition for 24 years. It was coined in 1996 from a comment by former player Lawrence Wright, who yelled, “If you ain’t a Gator, you must be Gator Bait,” after the Gators won their first national championship.

But after the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, former UF President Kent Fuchs retired the chant as part of a wider effort to end racist practices at UF, which also included taking down or renaming monuments dedicated to Confederate

Superior Towing has been illegally charging you Gainesville police addressed complaints, issued cease and desist notice

By Julia Miller Alligator Staff Writer

Just 39 minutes after Rudy Marquez’s car was towed, Superior Towing handed him a $410 bill. The 20-year-old Santa Fe College computer science junior said he didn’t have enough time or money to walk away unscathed.

Superior Towing, a local towing company, makes up the majority of nonconsensual tows in Gainesville, according to Mayor Harvey Ward. The company charged Marquez Aug. 31 after he parked at College Park at

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

Faculty, graduate negotiations Story description finish with comma, UF pg#unions call for higher pay. Read more on pg. 3.

Midtown apartments with an expired pass. Marquez admitted he parked illegally, but he said Superior Towing’s practices are no better.

“I mean, it's not only about me,” he said. “It's how many other students are going through this same exact thing right now.”

His invoice listed a $160 base towing fee, the maximum allowed

by Florida law, and a $250 lien fee. However, former Gainesville Police Department towing administrator Monica Jordan clarified during a Sept. 17 city commission meeting that Gainesville

ordinances prohibit lien fees this high.

Superior Towing did not respond to multiple requests for comment via phone call.

A resolution passed June 1 caps lien fees at $75 after 48 hours and base tow rates at $160.

It also allows for an additional $30 daily storage fee after the first six hours.

A lien fee accounts for towing companies’ administrative and legal costs. Superior Towing charges the state maximum and posts a sign in its window claiming the fee is set by the state and “cannot

be changed, reduced, or modified by the City of Gainesville or any towing company.”

Ryan Samuels, a 19-year-old UF electrical engineering sophomore, said his car was towed two times for $410 each. Superior Towing employees told him the fee was automatic, he added.

“It's definitely frustrating,” Samuels said. “I understand why I got towed — it was my fault — but I didn't expect the price to be so high for the tow. I was pretty shocked when I saw the invoice they sent me.”

When drivers don’t immedi-

Florida House candidate Marshall Rawson under fire for past involvement with extremist groups, pg. 5

Stock market Online platforms put investment opportunities in your pockets, pg. 2

SEE GATOR BAIT, PAGE 4

ately pick up their vehicles, the cost can be even higher.

Steven Reese, a 25-year-old microbiology and cell science student at Florida State College in Jacksonville, was in Gainesville visiting his girlfriend when his car was towed from College Park apartments. He said he was forced to pay Superior Towing $635.

Because Reese retrieved his car four days after it was towed, he was charged a daily impound rate, gate fee and second lien fee.

When Reese asked the towing company about each fee, what they meant and why he was charged, Superior Towing refused to explain further, he said.

“I'm usually pretty good with dealing with this,” Reese said,

SEE TOWING, PAGE 4

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026

Investing got easier, but fewer young people are doing it APPS, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND FRACTIONAL SHARES PUT THE STOCK MARKET IN STUDENTS' POCKETS

By Jessica Yang Alligator Staff Writer

Today, trading a share of stock is free. Until 1975, it cost a fixed commission set by the New York Stock Exchange. By 2004, it was about $10 at a discount broker, and by 2019, it cost nothing at all across the industry.

Yet fewer young people are investing than they were a few years ago.

The percentage of U.S. adults under 35 holding investments outside a retirement account fell from 26% in 2021 to 21% in 2024, according to the FINRA Foundation's latest investor survey.

About four in 10 investors under 35 trade options, a riskier investment strategy that lets someone bet on a price move without owning the stock, compared with one in 10 of those 55 and older.

In the younger age group, six in 10 said they follow recommendations from social media influencers and about three in 10 have bought a meme stock, a company whose shares went viral online and tend to have large price swings, a very high-risk investment.

So, technology did two things at once: It created a solid portfolio of stocks cheap enough for a college student to own, and it made trading frictionless, entertaining and profitable for the platforms that host it.

For Aman Vyas, a 21-year-old UF business administration senior who is simultaneously pursuing a master's degree in finance and technology, the easiest money to invest is the money his friends send him.

Vyas said he has used multiple investment platforms, but his favorite is Cash App. When friends pay him back for dinner, he can invest that money directly from the app.

"It already has a brokerage, so I might as well just use it to invest my money," Vyas said.

When he started investing, headlines in The Wall Street Journal provided most of his knowledge. Now he leans on artificial intelligence.

Vyas set up Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant, to run six research steps and recommend one mid-size stock purchase each day. He doesn't buy its picks outright, but he treats it as an analyst doing the grunt work so he knows what to verify through his own research.

"You could literally just ask AI, 'Hey, I have a spare $1,000, what should I do with it?'" he said. "It's been the easiest now that it's ever been to invest."

Easy can also mean impulsive.

Vyas does his research on a laptop, but when friends mention a stock that's climbing, he can just pull out his phone and make the purchase with the press of a button. That's how he bought into a meme stock after reading about it on the Reddit forum r/wallstreetbets. Now, he's down about 20% of his original investment.

"If I was on my laptop and I was actually looking through the financials of that company, I never really would have made that bet," he said. "But because I was on my phone and it was right there, I was just like, 'Yeah, I might as well.'"

Fractional shares make those bets feel small because they allow people to buy a small part of a stock for less than a full share.

"I can put in $2 of a company, and I'll just be like, 'Yeah, I'm a fractional owner,'" he said.

Social media adds to the pull.

The confidence with which TikTok creators talk about where to invest tempts Vyas to skip his own research and take their advice, he said. He called it a trap because most aren't certified to give financial advice and don't know a viewer's finances or how much they can risk.

He worries most about how investing now resembles a game, he said, and the line between investing and gambling is becoming increasingly blurred. Apps display gains in green and losses in red, which he said triggers a dopamine response either way. Green makes users want to do more, and red makes them want to trade until it turns green again.

"It's green, that's good, let me do more," Vyas said. "And if it's red, they'll be like, ‘I can try to do more so that way it goes

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green again.’"

He expects Robinhood's push into prediction markets, where users can bet on a three-hour football game, to make that worse.

Engagement Managing Editor

The technology revolution Baolian Wang, a UF associate professor of finance, studies how technology changes the way people trade.

Not long ago, investing took effort. Several of Wang's colleagues who invested in the late 1980s and early ‘90s had to wait for a monthly statement to learn about the state of their stocks, he said. They would need to call a broker if they wanted to check more often, he added, and the call alone cost money.

Until as late as 2004, when Wang interned at a brokerage in Beijing, most of its individual investors still didn't own a computer. They traded from a hall of terminals, arriving at 9:30 a.m. and staying until the market closed at 3 p.m. because it was the only way to trade.

Mobile apps erased that friction, giving brokerages an easier way to keep people trading.

"It's not too difficult to understand why they want people to trade more," Wang said. “Every trade, they get a slice of that."

Wang is finishing a paper that puts a number on how much that slice is. After the crypto exchange FTX collapsed in 2022, developers on the Solana blockchain, a public ledger detailing who owns what, launched a meme coin called Bonk and gave it away for free to some accounts meeting certain criteria.

Wang compared accounts that got the coin with those that didn’t and found recipients traded more — and their trading increased in frequency after they’d received Bonk.

Their trading more than doubled in the first month before settling around a third higher than where they’d started. The paper has not been published or peer-reviewed.

"Basically, my interpretation is that this makes it more gamified," he said.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026 ALLIGATOR 3

Unions fight for better pay for graduate students and faculty SECURING A 30% RAISE FOR GRADUATE STUDENT ASSISTANTS AND PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE FOR FACULTY ARE TOP PRIORITIES

where they can survive is really the ultimate goal here,” Khare said.

UF-GAU will meet with the Board of Trustees Sept. 25 for further salary negotiations, and Khare said it is hopeful the discussion will help them get the contract they desire.

By Erica Dybas Alligator Staff Writer

There’s a $19 million disparity between the pay raise sum asked for by the Graduate Assistants United and UF’s actual Sept. 11 offer, according to PhD student and GAU co-President Hannah Jacobs.

The negotiations for higher salaries began in early September with GAU’s proposal for an across-the-board 30% raise to help pay for basic necessities such as food and rent, Jacobs said.

On a graduate assistant’s minimum salary, Jacobs said, employees are eligible for food stamps, earning just 1.2 times the Floridian poverty line. As of 2026, the minimum graduate assistant salary falls just above that number at 1.25 times.

“When I go to apply for food stamps and I tell the state of Florida that my stipend is my full-time salary, they don’t question it,” Jacobs said.

UF’s graduate assistants haven’t received a negotiated salary bump since 2023, when they received a $2,200 raise, she said.

But, in UF’s offer, graduate assistants in the lowest paid colleges — Liberal Arts and Sciences, Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Arts and Education — will only get a $400 raise, bumping salaries from $20,600 to $21,000. Meanwhile, assistants in higher-paying schools, including the College of Dentistry and the Warrington College of Business, will see their salaries increase by $4,000, from $21,000 to $25,000.

To Jacobs, UF’s offer is cheap.

“We know that they have the money,” Ja-

Henry A. Moore // Alligator Staff

The fight between UF and its graduate student and faculty unions continues. cobs said. “But they have their buckets in the budget that they simply allot how they would like to.”

Patrick Keegan, the chief negotiator for the UF Board of Trustees, said in April 2025 that UF has the money to raise graduate assistants’ minimum salaries, but they are unwilling to spend it.

The board did not respond to requests for comment.

Despite some colleges having higher average pay, graduate assistants from all departments struggle.

Sikander Khare, a biology graduate student and UF-GAU’s former bargaining chair, criticized the blatant wage gap among colleges.

While he finds UF’s salary counteroffer offensive, he said, he finds the pay disparity even more so.

“Trying to get everyone to a minimum

The faculty side Despite the success of a Sept. 9 agreement on 5% merit raises, which proposed salary raises based on faculty performance, the UF chapter of the United Faculty of Florida is fighting for more rights as a union under the collective bargaining agreement it has with the university, said Meera Sitharam, the chapter’s co-President.

Changes are proposed to three articles.

Changes to article four would allow members involved in bargaining to receive pay for hours they dedicate to negotiations. The changes proposed for article 28 would allow the union to negotiate with UF directly, rather than strike or sue, significantly lowering the amount of time and money that goes into amending their contracts.

Amendments to article 18 would give faculty the right to progressive discipline, meaning faculty can’t be fired without a history of warnings and disciplinary action against them.

However, UF is debating whether the articles are open for negotiation, Sitharam said, claiming the union is limited by “imposed terms and conditions” that don’t allow it to edit its contract or start new negotiations.

But Sitharam said the conditions ended last year.

“They can’t indefinitely say that we are living under imposed conditions,” she said.

“That’s nonsense.”

UF will meet with UFF-UF again Sept. 21. @Erica_Dybas edybas@alligator.org

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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026

UF revives controversial football chant GATOR BAIT, from pg. 1

leaders. He cited the cheer’s “horrific historic racist imagery” as the reason for ending it.

The cheer has since been likened to late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century art depicting Black children being fed to alligators as bait, and the phrase evolved into a slur against African Americans, according

to ESPN. At the time, former player Wright denounced the cheer’s discontinuation, saying it had nothing to do with the racist caricatures associated with the phrase and was solely related to football.

“I created something for us,” Wright said. “It’s not a racist thing. It’s about us, the Gator Nation.”

Steve Orlando, the UF interim vice presi-

dent for communications and marketing, wrote in an email to The Alligator the cheer returned after the university concluded it was, in its context as a sports call, not racist.

It’s unclear which member of UF’s administration reinstated the chant.

The cheer returned again during the home game against the Campbell University Fighting Camels on Sept. 12.

Its original retirement came out of respect for the circumstances and increased scrutiny over outside origins, Orlando said,

but it has a special place in Florida athletics, so it’s back to stay.

“We were pleased to hear this longstanding tradition return to The Swamp and look forward to hearing it at Gator games for years to come,” he wrote.

Kevin Winstead, a UF assistant African American studies professor who teaches about critical media and artificial intelligence, said meanings behind traditions naturally shift over time.

If UF consulted constituents and experts and came to its conclusion through research, he said, then he feels its decision to reinstate the cheer is sound.

“We have to come together and be very intentional in deciding what type of community we want to be in," he said.

In a June interview with 1010XL radio, UF President Stuart Bell said he was interested by the rise in discourse over the cheer. “Traditions matter,” he said, and the debate gives fans the chance to understand its importance in The Swamp.

“It’s meaningful to the Gator family, and I hope we can have some really great conversations around that,” Bell said.

Bell, who became president in July, stated as a candidate he would not push “woke” efforts, such as diversity, equity and inclusion policies, at UF. Jordan Costagliola, a 2025 UF journalism alumnus and former drum major for the Gator marching band, supported the ban.

Its return, Costagliola said, is disrespectful to those who trusted UF to make progressive change, and he found its revival distasteful because it didn’t come with a public statement from UF. “That was supposed to be indicative of progress,” Costagliola said. ”[The ban] was something that maybe confused people, but we didn’t just do that for no reason.”

But other Gator fans share more positive reactions to the chant’s return. Matt Smith, a Gainesville native and lifelong Gator football fan, said the cheer itself has no connection to racism.

He pointed to the large percentage of Black players and the cheer’s creator, Wright. It would be hypocritical to use the cheer to support a majority-Black team if it was intended to be racist, he said.

“It has no racial divide,” Smith said.

“We’re literally just doing [it] because we’re Gator. You’re gator bait: You’re [an] opposing team.”

UF’s Black Student Union and the UF Fightin' Gator Marching Band declined to comment.

Bayden Armstrong // Alligator Staff

@sconsuelogarcia sofiagarical@alligator.org

Members of the Fightin’ Gator Marching Band wait to walk onto the field for the halftime show during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Campbell, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla.

City calls out Superior Towing for charging fees illegally TOWING, from pg. 1

“but you feel hopeless when your vehicle's taken from you, and they're saying to get it back that you have to give them money that you don't really have.”

Complaints about illegal towing fees aren't unique to Gainesville.

A 50-year-old man is suing CommTow, a Tampa-based towing company, after they charged him the maximum lien fee of $250 despite his car being picked

up within 48 hours. Like Alachua County, Hillsborough County requires towing companies to wait two days before charging lien fees.

The lawsuit against CommTow inspired Marquez, Samuels and Reese to consider filing a civil lawsuit against Superior Towing.

They have each reached out to law firms in the area but have yet to file suits.

As it turns out, their efforts might not be necessary after all.

During a Sept. 17 city commission meeting, GPD Maj. Jamie

Kurnick said the agency notified Superior Towing that its lien fees violate a Gainesville ordinance.

GPD issued the company a cease and desist, she added, warning Superior Towing that if it continues charging unauthorized fees, it may receive a civil citation and have its towing permit revoked or suspended.

Mayor Harvey Ward encourages anyone who believes they’ve been charged unauthorized fees to go to GPD directly. GPD offers a towing complaints portal for people to report illegal trespass

towing.

“No city has the resources to just follow tow companies around and make sure they're doing the right thing, and most people don't know that there is a reporting mechanism if the wrong thing is being done to you,” Ward said.

“So, that is the impetus for sweeping changes that we're making.”

Among changes made at the meeting was the commission’s vote to eliminate roam towing and booting. The ordinance, which requires an additional vote to pass, would only allow roam

towing and booting to be conducted under the direction of law enforcement or on government property.

“This is going to be more specific, like many other cities are,” Ward said. “If you park in the wrong place, there's an excellent chance that your car will be towed or immobilized, but it won't be because a random tow truck driver just happened to see you there and take a chance.” @juliamill30 jmiller@alligator.org

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026 ALLIGATOR 5

Gainesville looks to renovate historic Boulware Springs Nature Park THE SITE MARKS THE CITY’S FOUNDING AND THE RUMORED INSPIRATION FOR UF’S MOVE TO GAINESVILLE

By Grace Larson Alligator Staff Writer

Serena Patel and Marjan Mardanzai walked along the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail Sept. 13, visiting the spots that “make Gainesville Gainesville.”

But the 25-year-old UF graduate student and 24-year-old UF alumna may not have realized the spot that made Gainesville sits less than 0.1 miles from the trailhead: Boulware Springs.

In the 1850s, residents met at the historic site to establish Gainesville as a community and the Alachua County seat, said Steven Noll, a UF history professor.

Forty years later, Boulware Springs became the city’s primary water source. And roughly a decade after that, UF moved from Lake City to take root in what would later be called The Swamp.

At least, that’s the story that’s been shared for roughly five generations — and boasted on the former waterworks’ sign.

But Noll said it hasn’t been proven.

“We’re not sure if that’s true or not,” he said, “but it’s a great story anyway.”

But more than a century later, the historic site sits in a state of disrepair.

What used to be the city’s waterworks

is now an abandoned building with boarded-up windows adorned with graffiti. Signs taunting future renovations are plastered across the building and its perimeter, nearly overshadowed by the weeds that have taken over it and the surrounding spring.

Noll said this isn’t the first time Boulware Springs has been on the decline.

Its deterioration began after it was demoted to a secondary water source in 1913 and abandoned in 1977.

The city restored it in 1990 with the goal of making it a rental event space, but it was unsuccessful. The building closed to the public in 2020.

However, the city has been working on renovation plans since 2022, according to a Gainesville City Commission presentation.

Projects like these are difficult and timeconsuming, City Commissioner Bryan Eastman said, because renovations are complicated by factors like historic buildings and water.

“It’s been on the list of things to work on,” he said. “We’ve just not gotten through and moved forward on breaking ground and getting a focus on it yet.”

The project is being redesigned this fall, and renovations are expected to begin the following year, according to the city’s website. The plan currently accounts for building renovations, a new parking area, a restroom, a pavilion and improvements to site lighting, landscaping and stabilization.

The project will return to the commission for approval before renovation begins,

Eastman said, where the community will be able to provide feedback.

The city is looking at ways to turn the building into a community space, like a brewery or bike shop, he added.

“It’s a beautiful space. It has a lot of history in the city of Gainesville,” he said.

“We need to make sure that we’re doing [renovations in] such a way that it can be used and that it can be operated for the future.” @graceellarson glarson@alligator.org

Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff

Boulware Springs State Park is located at 3300 SE 15th St., in Gainesville, Fla.

Florida House 10 candidate’s past ties to extremist groups draw criticism Marshall Rawson participated in pro-Confederate rally, was involved with self-proclaimed white supremacist group

By Logan McBride Alligator Staff Writer

An Alachua County Republican running for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives this midterm season is drawing criticism for his ties to a controversial southern group and his attendance at the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“Unite the Right” protested the planned removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Emancipation Park.

The night before the rally, a group of white supremacists, Ku Klux Klansmen and neo-Nazis marched through the University of Virginia’s campus chanting antisemitic comments. The rally turned deadly the next day when one of the demonstrators rammed his car into a group advocating for the removal, killing one person and injuring 28 others.

Marshall Rawson, a 34-year-old UF law graduate, has faced national scrutiny after the public discovered his attendance at the rally and his ties to the League of the South, which the Southern Poverty Law Center deemed a white supremacist group. Rawson has been seen at many of the league’s events, including speaking at a conference and protesting with members of the organization.

Rawson did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Alligator over the course of three weeks.

Tyler Foerst, the chair of the Ala-

chua County Democrats, said Rawson’s prior involvements are “grotesque” and questioned Rawson’s ability to govern all the citizens he represents.

“I don’t understand how he can claim that he’s going to represent all his constituents when he very clearly supports an organization that doesn’t believe that his non-white constituents should be citizens,” Foerst said.

Although Rawson claims he had little involvement with the League of the South, Foerst said those claims hold little weight given his yearslong history with the organization and his attendance at the Charlottesville rally.

“He needs to answer for this,” Foerst said. “He needs to quit trying to downplay this and pretending that it doesn’t matter.”

Rawson, who defeated Chase Brannan in the Republican primary to represent Florida House District 10 — which covers Bradford, Columbia, Union, Baker and the northern portion of Alachua County — said the media is trying to run a last-ditch narrative to sway voters.

“I was upfront and outspoken about my brief attendance at the ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville,” Rawson wrote in a post on X. In the post, which included a video, Rawson said he and his wife were in attendance with another couple to defend the legacy of Robert E. Lee. Throughout his campaign, Rawson has been outspoken about pre-

serving Southern history. On his campaign website, he wrote he will focus on “defending our cultural heritage against attacks from the radical left and spineless politicians.”

Preserving the “native South” is part of the League of the South’s mission.

The league was founded in 1994

by Michael Hill, who previously taught at Stillman College, a historically Black college in Alabama. Hill, a self-proclaimed southern nationalist, has spoken against the presence of minority groups in the South since founding the league.

“The Browning of America, and my native South, was not something to which I assented, and I surely do not approve of it,” Hill wrote in a 2016 Pledge of Allegiance on the League of the South’s website.

Rawson previously protested the SPLC, claiming the organization was attempting to pervert the definition of marriage by straying away from traditional Christian marriages.

Mark Solomon, a 67-year-old retired lawyer and Valencia Community College professor, wrote Rawson a letter of recommendation for his law school applications and said he continues to support him.

Solomon, who lives in Gainesville, said he’s known Rawson and his mother for over a decade, and he believes Rawson has the potential to become governor someday.

A Jewish American, Solomon recalled telling Rawson the individuals he was surrounding himself with

years ago could come back to haunt him.

“I told him, ‘You need to disassociate yourself with these people,’ not because they were pro-South, just because I felt they were antisemitic.”

Solomon said.

Others saw potential in Rawson’s future and attempted to attach themselves to him, Solomon said, but Rawson could succeed without them.

Still, Solomon said Rawson is a great, hardworking person, and he wrote his letter of recommendation because of it. Solomon emphasized that he’s “sensitive” to racism and antisemitism, and he doesn’t believe Rawson is either of those things.

Solomon wasn’t familiar with the League of the South, he said, but he doesn’t believe the SPLC is a reliable source, regardless.

“I didn’t trust SPLC for years. I’ve always felt they’ve been a sham corporate organization,” Solomon said.

“The groups that they were against, some of them are just moms that are religious.”

Solomon cited the Tea Party, which the SPLC has spoken against, as an example. Solomon said the Tea Party, a conservative populist political movement, was a group of individuals concerned about national debt. However, the SPLC has tried to brand the movement as antiAmerican and racist, Solomon said.

Landon Roughton, a 20-year-old UF history junior, said Rawson’s efforts to preserve Southern history by attending the “Unite the Right” rally

shouldn’t be cast in a negative light.

“Conserving Florida’s history, whether it be good or bad, is still something that we have to do in Florida,” Roughton said. “I don’t think we should be tearing down statues, changing names of places.”

Roughton said he believes Floridians want to see elected officials focused on conserving Florida’s rural communities, and Rawson is focused on just that. He added that he’s happy to see a young conservative winning his primary and standing up for what he believes in.

Roughton has met Rawson a few times, and he’s come away thinking of him as a moral, personable man, he said. Individuals shouldn’t be judged by their past involvements alone, he added.

“People make mistakes all the time,” Roughton said. “I don’t think you should judge someone based off something that happened 10 years ago.”

Rawson’s opponent in the House District 10 race, Merrillee MalwitzJipson, said there is no place for racism in the Florida Legislature.

“My campaign is not asking voters to overlook differences on policy,” Malwitz-Jipson said in a Sept.

17 Facebook post. “I am asking voters to consider what kind of leadership they want representing them in Tallahassee.”

The two will face off Nov. 3. @logandmcbride lmcbride@alligator.org

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026 www.alligator.org/section/the-avenue

MUSIC

Floating Skull Cassettes makes local tunes timeless THE LABEL GIVES GAINESVILLE MUSIC FANS A WAY TO HOLD THEIR FAVORITE SONGS IN THEIR HANDS

By Brandy Sumner Avenue Staff Writer

In the back corner of Sunshine Records, beneath a hand-drawn cardboard sign boasting “Local Artists,” sit stacks of cassette tapes.

Displaying every color from hot pink to neon yellow, they all feature bands from across Gainesville. The majority are created and brought to the store by Floating Skull, a freeform local cassette label.

The label is run entirely by Waylon Thornton, a 38-year-old local musician who has been playing shows in Gainesville since he was 13.

For Thornton, cassette tapes seemed like the perfect option to capture music created by him and other local bands, he said. The format allows him to produce cheaper, smaller batches than CDs or vinyl, so Thornton can keep prices as low as possible for fans.

“I don’t want to profit off of it,” he said.

“I keep things as cheap as I possibly can … I don’t want it to be a business or a job. It’s a thing that I do as a passion project.”

Cassettes are like business cards, Thornton said, and their accessibility and compact design allow artists to give fans physical music they can easily put in their pocket, even in the

middle of a show.

In addition to its online store and the tapes sold at shows, Floating Skull cassettes can be found at Sunshine Records on Northwest Eighth Avenue.

Thornton makes most of the tapes’ cover art himself, and their designs range in style from drawings to photos to collage.

The tapes also give bands an easier way to acquire physical proof of their music in an age that prioritizes online uploads.

Digital platforms always hold a risk of losing content entirely, Thornton said. In instances like the MySpace crashes in late 2017 and early 2018, many bands’ music disappeared forever.

Physical versions of a band’s music give them longevity in an entirely different way.

“Twenty years from now somebody’s going to have [this] in a shoebox,” Thornton said, “and somebody’s teenager or whatever’s going to be like ‘Oh, what is this?’ and hopefully still have a tape player to check it out.”

The first cassette Thornton officially released under Floating Skull was a demo for Gainesville punk band Curleys.

“We just gave it to Waylon, and he was like, ‘Hey, cool if I master this and put it on a cassette?’” said Sam Metro, Curleys’ 39-yearold guitarist. “And we were like, ‘Sure.’’’

Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/the-avenue. bsumner@alligator.org

FOOD & DRINK

Pumpkin spice not your style? Here’s a rating of 5 Gainesville cookie butter concoctions FROM COFFEES TO CAKES, THE UNDERRATED FALL FLAVOR IS IN NO SHORT SUPPLY

By Katharine Litman Avenue Staff Writer Fall usually means a pumpkin spice takeover of every coffee shop and bakery menu. As someone who loves the season but has never been a pumpkin fan, I’ve always looked for a different seasonal flavor to become my go-to.

This year, I have made it my mission to make cookie butter my fall favorite. So, I spent a week trying five cookie butter treats around Gainesville to answer one question: Is cookie butter the best fall flavor?

From Coterie Market’s seasonal cookie butter latte to Jeremiah’s Italian Ice’s year-round cookie butter flavor, I tried everything from lattes to desserts to see which offerings actually capture the rich taste — and which fell short.

On a scale from 0 to 10, my ratings were based on three things: the authenticity of the cookie butter flavor, the balance of the sweetness and the mix of it with add-ons.

Coterie Market’s cookie butter latte: 9.7

Coterie Market’s cookie butter latte was the closest thing I found to drinking a jar of Trader Joe’s cookie butter. Its housemade syrup delivered a strong flavor without com-

pletely masking the coffee’s taste, and the cold foam added a layer of sweetness without leaving the drink overloaded with ice.

The balance of the cookie butter’s sweetness and the espresso’s bitterness was perfect. I made sure to order it with oat milk, and it was the perfect touch to make sure the latte wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet.

I rate the drink a 9.7.

7 Brew Coffee’s cookie butter latte: 4.2

Although I love 7 Brew, the cookie butter latte it offers yearround fell short on my rankings.

I made sure to try this latte twice, once with breve (half and half) and a second time with whole milk, but

I thought the milk overpowered the flavor’s richness in both instances.

What differentiates 7 Brew’s cookie butter latte from others is that it’s prepared with toasted marshmallow, hazelnut and white chocolate rather than traditional Biscoff spread. The choice gives the drink more of a sugar cookie taste if that’s what you’re looking for.

But when rating for cookie butter, I gave it a 4.2.

whole milk. The latte came constructed with cookie butter drizzle and cold foam, earning it a 7.9.

Dutch Bros doesn’t make you hunt for the cookie butter flavor. In fact, it might make you wish there was slightly less of it. The syrup settles at the bottom, so make sure to mix it well for the full experience — my first sip was straight cookie butter, and that might not be for everyone.

Dutch Bros’ cookie butter specialty latte: 7.9

Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/the-avenue.

For someone looking for a sweeter coffee, I would recommend Dutch Bros’ cookie butter specialty latte. I ordered it as my sweet treat for the day, half-caffeinated with

@katealligator. klitman@alligator.org

Tennis

Analyzing former Gator Ben Shelton’s performance in the U.S. Open. Read the rest on page 11.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026 www.alligator.org/section/opinions

Column

Stop pretending ‘Gator Bait’ is the problem

W

hen the tubas and trombones of the UF Fightin’ Gator Marching Band played during the first quarter at UF’s Sept. 5 game against Florida Atlantic, a crowd of eager Gator fans loudly welcomed the return of the infamous “Gator Bait” cheer.

In 1996, Florida won its first national football championship with a 52-20 victory against Florida State. Lawrence Wright, a Black safety for the Gators at the time, said afterward, “If you ain’t a Gator, you must be Gator bait, baby.” Shortly after, the UF Fightin’ Gator Marching Band would play the musical cue for fans to chant “Gator bait” at opposing offenses.

The “Gator Bait” chant was one of my defining memories growing up as a Gator fan. I used to place my hands over the opposing quarterback as I chomped to make it look like my hands were crushing him. But in 2020, the history of the term “gator bait” became the source of the chant’s removal. The chant wouldn’t be heard again until the 2026 season opener against Florida Atlantic six years later.

The “Gator Bait” chant shouldn’t have been banned, but

Column

we also shouldn’t sweep the history of the phrase under the rug. Words only have the power we give them, and the meanings associated with certain phrases can change. Removing the chant was an empty gesture by UF at the time, and it was the wrong way to address the history of the phrase.

There are many historical, firsthand accounts of Black slave babies being used as bait for alligators. While it doesn’t seem that the practice was common, “gator bait” nevertheless became a slur used against Black people.

This isn’t the first time UF has banned a chant due to racism.

Until a 1973 discontinuation, students dressed in Confederate uniforms, a cannon was fired and the band played “Dixie” as students held up cards to create a giant Confederate flag.

This is an example of a “harmless chant” that actually perpetuated bigotry and needed to be banned. It glorified the traitorous and racist Confederates; it was directly linked to the institution of slavery. That is what separates the “Dixie” chant from the “Gator Bait” chant.

The “Gator Bait” chant has no racist undertones on its own.

Former UF President Kent Fuchs, who banned the chant, admitted at Evan Dressel the time he knew of no racist intenopinions@alligator.org tion in creating the cheer, but that the phrase has been linked to “horrific historic racist imagery.” The chant was banned during a university-wide review of potentially racially offensive statements in 2020.

Banning the chant was an extremely visible way for UF to indicate it was serious about addressing racism in and around the university. However, I ask: How does banning a chant with no actual link to racism fight against it? This is the same university that would later gut diversity, equity and inclusion programs and remove classes focused on Black culture and history.

Florida-Georgia Rivalry Issue

Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/opinions. @EvanD_Alligator edressel@alligator.org

18,000

Two great schools: one legendary football rivalry TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: 14,000 copies distributed on camTwo great student newspapers: one special keepsake edition pus, 2,000 distributed before the game and 2,000 sent our to mistakes can be revived and analyzed long watching.

Growafter we’ve outgrown the person who made ing up has always alums and supporters Space is limited, so make sure you are part of this high-profile event! them. For past generations, moments like that meant caring about

We deserve to be ADforgotten DEADLINE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15

I

t might be hard to imagine daily life without technology, but there was once a time when an embarrassing moment could simply fade away. There was no Instagram story documenting the night, no Snapchat memory resurfacing years later and no public profile for someone to analyze before they met you.

Now, anyone can know anything about anyone — or at least anything they’ve chosen to preserve online.

Our relationship with phones wasn’t always this consuming. Only about one-third of American adults owned a smartphone 15 years ago, according to the Pew Research Center. But as of last year, nine in 10 have one.

The devices themselves aren’t the enemy.

I love being able to take a burst of pictures on a night out so I can reminisce the next morning. I love that I can keep up with friends hun-

had an expiration date. Now, though, an awkward phase or bad take can outlive us online. dreds of miles away, find practically anything Someone you meet for the first time can search in seconds and preserve pieces of my life that your name and find a version of you that you previous generations had to leave to memory. haven’t been in years. Social media hasn’t just Whether youremember call it thealmost Georgia-Florida game the Florida-Georgia us aorrecord of our lives; it has made our But having the ability to ev- given identity something caniscurate. erything has game also made it incredibly difficult — or the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party —we there no A 2025 systematic review of studies involvto forget. question the annual matchup between the University of Georgia Growing up is inherently embarrassing. Be- ing nearly 20,000 adolescents concluded that Bulldogs of Florida Gatorsonline is oneinteractions of the greatest rivalry and presentation can play fore you become good University at something, you usua role in identity development.

Participants ally have to be bad at it.

Figuring out who you spectacles in college football. are often means experimenting with how you associated authentic self-presentation with a express yourself in ways you’ll cringe at five clearer sense of self, while they associated socialoncomparison with greater identity exploraWhile the how teams battle the field, the newsrooms years later. We change weprepare dress, how weit out tion and distress. act and how of weThe talk.

Our beliefs evolve, and Red & Black and the Florida Alligator are cooperating to That makes sense. Social media gives us the people we surround ourselves with change produce a special keepsake issuetowill be distributed on we are, find a place experiment with who alongside them. We say stupid things, andissue. we This people we relate to and discover interests we both campuses on Monday, Oct. 25 in advance of the game and in dance awkwardly. It’s nice to look back at might never encounter otherwise. those moments with embarrassment.

It means the “neutral sites” in Jacksonville and St. Simons Island before the But experimenting with how you express yourself bewe’ve changed. game. Inmore addition, the student newscomes organizations will be engaging a little different when you have people Things become complicated when

what other people think. Social media didn’t invent insecurity or embarrassment — but it Shirin Khizzar did give us an audiopinions@alligator.org ence that follows us home. We can edit what we post, delete what we don’t like and curate the best parts of ourselves until thinking about how we appear to other people becomes almost second nature.

And I wonder how easily we can leave that mindset online.

Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/opinions. @Shirinkhizzar Skhizzar@alligator.org

in an alumni donation duel in the weeks leading up to the game.

Everyone who pledges to the newspapersthose will getof a copy The views expressed heresupport are not necessarily The Alligator. of this keepsake publication.

The Alligator encourages comments from readers. Letters to the editor should not exceed 600 words (about one letter-sized page). They must be typed, double-spaced and must include the author’s name, classification and phone number.

Names will be withheld if the writer shows just cause. We reserve the right to edit for length, grammar, style and libel. Send letters to opinions@alligator.org, bring them to 2700 SW 13th St., or send them to P.O. Box 14257, Gainesville, FL 32604-2257.Columns of about 450 words about original topics and editorial cartoons are also welcome. Questions? Call 352-376-4458.

18,000

This tailgate edition will preview our upcoming matchup.

Florida-Georgia Tailgate Edition Florida-Georgia RivalryOleIssue Fri, Sept. 25 vs.

Miss

Rivalry Issue

Two great schools: one legendary football rivalry Fri, Oct. 9 vs.

S. Carolina TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: 14,000 copies distributed on camTwo great schools: one legendary Twocopies great tostudent newspapers: one special Georgia keepsake football edition rivalry opportunity to highlight your business or organization. 3,000 Mon, Oct. 26 vs. pus, 2,000 distributed before the game and 2,000 sent to be passed on campus and throughout Friday and alums and supporters TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: 14,000 copies distributed onthe cam-community Spaceonisthelimited, so make sure are6part vs. of one this high-profile event! edition Two great student newspapers: special keepsake Fri,you Nov. Oklahoma With close to 50,000 out-of-town visitors expected, this is a terrific

18,000

pus,Saturday 2,000 distributed before thethe game and 2,000 sentbetorestocking news racks near leading up to game.

We’ll alums and supporters the stadium, and passing them out by hand.

Fri,sure Nov.you 20arevs.part ofVanderbilt AD DEADLINE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15Space is limited, so make this high-profile event!

Don’t miss your chance to be part of the excitement!

AD DEADLINE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15

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Whether you call it the Georgia-Florida game or the Florida-Georgia Campus Communications P.O.P.O.BoxBox14257, Gainesville, Florida, 32604-2257 | advertising@alligator.org | (352)376-4482 Campus CommunicationsInc., game — or the world’s largest outdoor cocktail partyInc., — there is5126, no Gainesville, Florida 32627-5126 | advertising@alligator.org | (352)376-4482 questionyou thecall annual matchup between the University Georgia Whether it the Georgia-Florida game or theofFlorida-Georgia Bulldogs University of Florida Gators is one of the greatest rivalry

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ACROSS

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EUIGAN EBKRA NICIG RNEEBG DOWN

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NOTE: This newspaper assumes no responsibility for injury

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©2026 King Features Synd., Inc.

Real Estate

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Send comments to DLHoyt@HoytInteractiveMedia.com

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026 ALLIGATOR 9

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4. LITERATURE: In which Harry Potter novel is the portkey (a method of magical transportation) first mentioned?

5. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is the most popular animal used on national flags?

6. MOVIES: What object is Wilson in the movie "Cast Away"?

8. MUSIC: Which 1980s band released the album titled "Synchronicity"?

9. TELEVISION: What is James Kirk's middle name in the "Star Trek" series?

10. MYTHOLOGY: Who is the Greek goddess of wisdom? © 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

answers below

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Sports Quiz

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1. Which golfer recorded two rounds under 60 in his PGA Tour career with a 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship and a 59 at the 2013 BMW Championship?

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2. Name the tennis player who was disqualified for misconduct during the fourth round of the 1990 Australian Open.

3. How many points did the Houston Rockets score during the overtime period in their 113-96 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 22, 1983?

4. Who became the first Black referee in the NFL when he was promoted to the position in 1988?

5. Name the sports equipment and apparel company that was founded by Minoru Yoneyama in Japan in 1946 and is a world leader in producing badminton racquets.

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6. Which Basketball Hall of Famer coached the Stanford Cardinal to three NCAA women's national championships during her tenure from 1986 to 2024?

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7. How many separate stints did Rickey Henderson have with the Oakland Athletics as a player?

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Sports Quiz answers

4. Johnny Grier.

7. Four (1979-84, 1989-93, 1994-95, 1998).

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1. Jim Furyk.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026 www.alligator.org/section/sports

FOOTBALL

5 takeaways from Florida's victory at Auburn JADAN BAUGH’S THREE TOUCHDOWNS LED THE WAY FOR THE GATORS

By Max Bernstein Sports Writer

Florida’s first major test of the Jon Sumrall era was administered Sept. 19 at JordanHare Stadium. And the Gators passed the exam.

Facing SEC rival Auburn on the road for the first time since 2011, Florida never surrendered its lead, defeating the Tigers 44-39.

Just like the first two games of the season, an elite offensive performance and a reinvigorated pass rush powered the Gators.

“This is about our guys. I’m so proud of them,” Sumrall said. “A lot of people doubted them. I heard a lot of people all week second-guessing why we were favored in this game.”

Here are five instant takeaways from Florida’s SEC opening win.

1. Jadan Baugh might be the best player in the country

After a 1,170-yard sophomore campaign, Jadan Baugh entered the 2026 season with a world of expectations on his shoulders. But Baugh hasn’t faltered; he’s established his case as not only the best running back in the country but arguably the best player.

Against an Auburn run defense that had only surrendered 2.2 yards per attempt in its first two games, the junior back took 26 carries for 162 yards and scored three touchdowns.

The junior back first found the end zone on UF’s opening drive, bursting right and extending the ball in his right arm to the orange corner pylon to complete the 2-yard score.

He then hit the Heisman Trophy pose, an award no Gator has won since Tim Tebow in 2007.

The Atlanta native kept on chugging throughout the game, finding the end zone again at the beginning of the third quarter.

Baugh took his time surveying the blocks ahead of him before bursting through the defense to score a 33-yard touchdown.

His performance in the fourth quarter was the icing on the cake. On a 4th-and-1 near midfield, Baugh ran the ball directly through the heart of Auburn’s defense, showcasing his speed as he stormed 53 yards to the end zone. Once again, he hit the Heisman pose.

When asked about his performance, Baugh said it was just “another day in the office.”

With Baugh as its centerpiece, Florida’s offensive potential is off the charts, and he hasn’t hesitated to prove it in the team’s three contests so far.

2. Buster Faulkner’s offense is electric

One of the downfalls of Billy Napier’s

tenure at Florida was a lack of explosiveness from the Gator offense. In year one under Sumrall, that could not be further from the truth, and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s playcalling is at the heart of that success.

Through UF’s first two games, the Gators averaged 569 yards and 59 points per game against a tough Auburn defense, and that success continued. Florida posted 495 yards and 24 first downs, with an almost even pass/run yardage split (252 passing yards, 243 rushing yards).

Faulkner’s best play call of the game came in the second quarter, when, in his seventh season at Florida, wide receiver Kahleil Jackson made arguably the most memorable play of his collegiate career. On a third-and-8 from UF’s own 39-yard line, quarterback Aaron Philo pitched to Jackson in the backfield, who then aired it 48 yards to tight end Amir Jackson. It was Jackson’s second pass attempt of his career; his first was intercepted. Florida was able to add three points on that drive thanks to that field-flipping play call and execution.

Later, on a third-and-11 from the Auburn 20-yard line, Faulkner beautifully designed a play call that forced defenses to account for the dynamic Vernell Brown III on a backfield swing route, but that attention left Dallas Wilson wide open in the end zone. Philo easily made the touchdown throw, putting UF up 34-17 in the third quarter.

“We felt good coming into the half about some things we could do to attack them off of some things we had seen,” Sumrall said.

“I thought it was a huge sequence for sure.”

The Gators offense also showcased solid efficiency on crucial third- and fourth-down plays, finishing a combined 10 for 18 on must-convert situations.

With Faulkner at the helm, it isn’t a question of if Florida’s offense will deliver, but how they will.

3. Aaron Philo is exactly what Florida needed as quarterback

In his first SEC road start, Philo showed why the coaching staff had enough confidence to make him the undisputed QB1.

After completing 32 of 42 passes for 517 yards and five touchdowns en route to UF’s 2-0 start, the Gators signal caller showcased his efficiency during the Sept. 19 victory.

He completed 15 of 22 passes for 204 yards while commanding the Gator offense to near perfection all night.

“We talked about it all week; all we need is us,” Philo said. “We got the job done.”

His second turnover of the season, an interception in the first half, was not one for which he will take the blame. That pass, a screen throw to Baugh, bounced off the usually reliable back’s hands and fell right into the lap of Auburn’s Da’Shawn Womack. But the turnover, forced or unforced, didn’t faze the junior quarterback, Philo had five completions for 20-plus

Bayden Armstrong // Alligator Staff

Florida offensive lineman Jason Zandamela celebrates after beating Auburn in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Auburn, Ala.

yards in the game, including a 22-yard throw to Wilson on his first throw of the contest.

He also completed nine consecutive passes from the middle of the second quarter all the way to his first throw of the fourth quarter.

But Philo’s best was yet to come. On a fourth-and-5 with a chance to put the game fully out of reach, Philo expertly placed a 9-yard pass to running back Duke Clark to convert the crucial conversion.

Philo’s toughness was also on full display as he converted four third-and-fourth downs with QB keepers. Ultimately, the Bogart, Georgia, native totalled 22 yards on nine carries.

“He’s got a little bit of a cowboy mentality, man. He’s tough as nails,” Sumrall said.

“I can tell, watching him, just how he carries himself, I got a lot of confidence and our team has a lot of confidence in him, just because that’s the way he’s wired. He’s a tough, blue-collared, chip-on-your-shoulder type of guy.”

4. The Emmanuel Oyebadejo/Jayden Woods duo is a potential game-changer for the pass rush

At the beginning of his tenure, Sumrall labeled the Florida defensive line as the unit he had the most questions about. Emmanuel Oyebadejo and Jayden Woods showed on Sept. 19 that they might be the answers, leading Florida to a seven-sack performance.

Oyebadejo, the 6-foot-6, 299-pound defensive end, showed his skill at the Group of 5 level for Jacksonville State in 2025, earning First Team CUSA honors with 4 1/2 sacks and 6 1/2 tackles for loss. But he showed he can swim at the Power 4 level as well after missing last week’s game against Campbell.

Oyebadejo recorded 1 1/2 sacks within 30 seconds of game time in the first quarter. He then took down Auburn’s Bryum Brown on a fourth-and-10 to force a turnover on downs in the fourth quarter, helping Florida put the game out of reach. Oyebadejo also recorded a pass deflection, using his length to impact plays where he was not able to get into the backfield. “[Emmanuel] was a true game-time decision,” Sumrall said. “Proud of him showing up and playing with the toughness he did.”

Alongside Oyebadejo, Woods showcased his skills, racking up 2 1/2 sacks and 3 1/2 tackles for loss in the contest. The Gators finished the game with five sacks, as Baylor transfer DK Kalu and linebacker Jaden Robinson both got to Byrum Brown in the dying seconds of the contest.

While Florida’s defense still has plenty of problems to tackle, evident from surrendering 373 total yards and 39 points, it seemed to figure out its pass rush, at least for now.

5. Penalties might cause issues in the future

While Florida’s play on the field had few errors, its discipline was not up to snuff for the second consecutive Saturday. While many argued the referees got some calls wrong, it's clear UF needs to tighten up in the future.

The Gators committed 16 penalties for 138 yards. A personal foul call on left tackle Bryce Lovett brought back a Vernell Brown III touchdown reception late in the first quarter, halting UF’s offensive momentum.

Later, on a crucial third-and-6 near the red zone, Byrum Brown kept the ball on a QB keeper and was hit near the sideline by cornerback Cormani McClain. The referees, however, called an unnecessary roughness penalty on the Gators for the “late hit,” giving Auburn a 1st-and-goal. The Tigers subsequently scored a touchdown to tie the game at 17-apiece.

Two potential holding calls on Auburn offensive linemen weren’t called, resulting in two touchdown passes by Byrum Brown. But the referees’ decisions don’t excuse a lack of discipline by the Gators' unit.

“We won’t win another game all year if we do that again. Not one more game,” Sumrall said. “I didn’t agree with all of them, but still I’m not gonna let our guys off the hook; that’s inexcusable.”

If Florida wants to continue its winning ways as the schedule continues to ramp up, limiting penalties is not a want; it's a must.

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@maxbernstein23 mbernstein@alligator.org

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026 ALLIGATOR 11

MEN'S TENNIS

The big wins that got Ben Shelton to his first U.S. Open Final THE FORMER GATOR’S RELENTLESS RUN IN THE GRAND SLAM TOURNAMENT WAS CUT SHORT BY ALEXANDER ZVEREV

By Ethan Feinberg Sports Writer

After 28 tiring sets across seven matches, Gator alumnus Ben Shelton’s first appearance in a Grand Slam final was cut short. His historic run at the U.S. Open was characterized by new records, first appearances, outstanding performances and heartbreak.

Despite a valiant effort, No. 8 Ben Shelton was defeated by No. 1 Alexander Zverev in a four-set bout 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 Sept. 13 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York.

The Gator began his fifth appearance at the U.S. Open Aug. 31 as the No. 8 seed. He started the tournament against Tallon Griekspoor in a four-set battle. The first set ended in just 28 minutes as the Dutchman recorded a 6-1 victory.

The American didn’t take long to regain control, taking the second set with his own 6-1 win. But the third frame didn’t come as easily. On deuce point of the first game, Shelton took the first point on a fake-out shot that sent his opponent guessing the wrong way.

As the set kept going back and forth, Griekspoor tried lobbing shots over Shelton, but the former Gator’s athleticism excelled. It was made obvious when he came closer to the net and established his dominant six-footfour presence with unreturnable slams.

Though Griekspoor trailed close behind Shelton, the former Gator didn’t hesitate to remind him whose match it was whenever the momentum shifted in the Dutchman’s favor. The American took the seven-point tiebreaker 7-6(3) after Griekspoor doublefaulted for a sixth time. Shelton built off that newfound confidence and finished the match 6-2, tallying 12 aces and 112 points.

Just two days later, Shelton found himself facing Hubert Hurkacz in the second round. He took the first set 6-3 after working Hurkacz around the court with a mix of soft shots and fast forehands. But the Pole quickly put on a similar show of his own, sending Shelton scrambling to survive. Hurkacz ultimately equalized the match with a 7-5 second-set victory.

The third set featured more shoe squeaks, and, despite being down most of the set, Shelton forced yet another seven-point tiebreaker.

He took an early 3-0 lead and continued his

Grethel Aguila // Alligator Staff

Former Florida tennis national champion Ben Shelton celebrates during a match against TCU, Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in Gainesville, Fla. Shelton reached the semifinal of the 2026 U.S. Open in New York, falling to Germany’s Alexander Zverev in four sets.. aggressive attacking style to win 7-6(3). Despite recording his lowest ace count of the entire tournament with just six and tanking the 14 that came his way, Shelton advanced to the third round with a 7-5 win over Hurkacz.

With momentum at his back, the Gator fought whoever lined up in front of him. This time, it was a familiar foe: Denis Shapovalov.

Just like at the Dallas Open, the Canadian proved a worthy opponent for Shelton, opening the match with a 4-2 lead. But as the American won five straight points and fought back in various deuce points, he snuck out of the first set with a 7-6(3) victory over Shapovalov.

Even though Shelton went up 5-3 in the second frame, Shapovalov fought back with sideline winners and an efficient 77% firstserve win percentage to come back and win 7-6(5). But as Shelton continued to tack on more aces, the remaining sets proved too difficult for the Canadian to mount a comeback.

In the opening of the fourth set, Shelton miraculously returned what was almost guaranteed to be an ace. The Gator pushed forward to take the last two sets, 6-3, 6-4.

Finally, after 12 long sets across three long matches, Shelton found himself in the Round of 16 in the U.S. Open for the first time since 2023. This time, he faced 28-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas and made quick work of him. For the second consecutive match, the American recorded at least 12 aces. These aces, paired with his precise shots, brought him the victory in straight sets for the first and only time in the tournament, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.

But what was to come was no easy feat

— potentially one of his hardest matches yet.

Shelton continued to man the center court at Arthur Ashe Stadium against one of the most decorated tennis players of this decade, No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz.

As the match began and both athletes went toe-to-toe, it was clear the matchup would be stretched into a fifth-set tiebreaker.

With both players displaying freak athleticism and world-class volleys, Alcaraz took the first step to victory when he won the first frame 7-6(5).

In the next set, Shelton knew he had to use one of his greatest strengths to retake control — his serve. He carved up eight total aces throughout the match with multiple reaching speeds of 140-plus mph. Shelton evened out the match with a dominant 6-1 second-frame victory. From there, he kept pushing, even through various deuce-point games, to win the third frame 6-3.

But the Spaniard was not going down that easily. Alcaraz returned the favor with his own dominant 6-1 set win, forcing a dramatic game-deciding fifth set. As the Gator adjusted to a rapid game of sideline winners, service box control and conservative play, he outlasted the Spaniard in a close 10-point tiebreak, with his signature ace —a 146 mph slam —bringing him the win 7-6(7).

This upset was the first time Alcaraz lost to an American in a Grand Slam Tournament and to a left-hander. He had been 13-0 and 14-0, respectively, prior to the match.

With this win under his belt, it seemed like Shelton could go all the way. But to reach the finals, he had to go through fellow Ameri-

can, No. 11 Frances Tiafoe. As Shelton’s aggressive playstyle met Tiafoe’s consistent longevity, Tiafoe took the first set 6-4. Again, Shelton knew he had to play to his advantage and marked the second set with five aces, winning the second frame 6-3.

The third set was characterized by a rather long deuce point and eventual 15-minutelong final game that ended in another Shelton 6-3 win. Despite Tiafoe’s durability in the semifinal match, Shelton's combined 20 aces and difficult shots were deemed too hot to handle, as Shelton secured the straight-set victory 7-5 in the fourth and final frame.

Not only did this victory bring personal gain for Shelton, as it was his first time ever advancing to a Grand Slam Final, but it also brought historical value. The victory marked just the second time an African American man reached the finals, beside Arthur Ashe.

The match also made history as the first time two Black Americans played in the U.S Open semifinals.

Yet, Shelton’s hardest challenge still awaited him: No. 1 Zverev in the finals.

Shelton’s double-fault to open the first set showed signs of what was to come. Both men matched each other in playstyle as they both created difficult circumstances for their opponents. Shelton’s thunderous slams were matched by Zverev’s 139-mph serves. The two remained close throughout the match in aces, with the German recording nine and the American on top with 10.

After taking the first two sets 6-3 and 7-6(2), Zverev looked to put the game away in straight sets, but Shelton wouldn’t allow that. He played more patiently near the baseline and stepped up when he needed to. This worked in his favor as he took the third frame 7-5.

But as Zverev improved his serve percentage and looked to put the game away, his ability to transition between attack and defense displayed exactly why he was ranked No. 1 in the tournament. He forced Shelton to the net and delivered shots that were unhittable. As the Gator alum continued to tire, Shelton eventually fell 6-2 in the fourth and final set of the tournament. The win marked Zverev’s second Grand Slam title of the 2026 season and Shelton’s first Grand Slam title finals appearance.

After a long and hard-fought U.S. Open, Shelton will look to avenge his loss in the Japan Open on Sept. 25-Oct. 6 in Tokyo, Japan. @thefeinline efeinberg@alligator.org

WOMEN'S TENNIS

Former South Carolina standout Sarah Hamner prepared to bolster Florida women’s tennis coaching staff HAMNER RANKED NO. 13 IN SINGLES AND NO. 7 IN DOUBLES NATIONALLY AT THE HEIGHT OF HER COLLEGIATE CAREER

By Alisa Gershman Sports Writer

With a strong four years of collegiate play under her belt, Sarah Hamner had intentions of going professional straight out of college.

But that dream was cut short when she tore her Achilles this April. Hamner was forced to undergo surgery and reconsider her future in tennis.

“The recovery is like a year, and I had no idea what I was gonna do with my life,” Hamner said. “Everything was like 180.”

In late August, she was hired as the assistant coach for the Florida women’s tennis team.

Hamner always had strong ties to Florida.

She moved to the Sunshine State from Colorado at 13 to pursue her tennis career, and after training in Boca Raton and Orlando for a few years, Hamner committed to the University of South Carolina.

There, she competed at the No. 1 and 2 singles spots for the Gamecocks from 2021-25.

Hamner built a competitive reputation for herself while a Gamecock, becoming a four-time All-American and six-time NCAA tournament qualifier with countless academic accolades.

She also became the first Gamecock to rank No. 1 in the nation in singles during her freshman year.

By the end of her collegiate career, she had tallied 106 career singles wins and 72 doubles titles with a 25-14 conference record.

But that’s when injury struck. The aforementioned Achilles tear compelled Hamner to slow down and reassess her situation, putting her professional aspirations on hold.

Out of the blue, associate head coach Axel Damiens proposed she become the assistant coach for Florida’s women's tennis team. Damiens and Hamner have a shared history as

Gamecocks, where he served as the associate head coach for the 2024-25 season.

Knowing she would be in good hands, Hamner accepted the offer and grew excited to work alongside Damiens and head coach Per Nilsson.

“My goal is to learn a lot from Per and then take it with me,” Hamner said. “If I do continue down the coaching route, I think I can learn a lot from him.”

Bringing her competitive nature with her to the Gators, she hopes to help them achieve their goals and find success as a team later in the season.

As the team transitions into Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Americans this weekend, Hamner is excited to be another friendly face on court to help the girls grow their confidence and be authentic to themselves.

“I’m just gonna be malleable,” Hamner said. “I want to be what they need.” @angershman agershman@alligator.org

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12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026

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