Florida revives ‘gator bait’ cheer 6 years after it was banned because of ‘racist imagery’

Gainesville, Fla. (AP) — The University of Florida brought back its controversial "gator bait" cheer during Saturday night's season opener, over six years after the school banned it due to "horrific historic racist imagery" linked to the phrase. University of Florida new president Stuart Bell stated in June that "traditions matter" and suggested the cheer could return as it is "meaningful to the Gator family."

The cheer resurfaced in the first quarter against Florida Atlantic and was met with an enthusiastic response. This decision came after former Florida president Kent Fuchs banned the cheer in June 2020 due to concerns about potential racial undertones. The cheer was part of a broader national conversation on race following George Floyd's murder in police custody in Minneapolis in May 2020.

Many Florida fans were unhappy with Fuchs' decision, arguing that the cheer was a tradition and had never been performed with racist intent. Bell, who was Florida's sole president finalist in December 2025, took over a school that eliminated all diversity, equity, and inclusion positions in 2024 following a new state rule that prohibited the creation of such programs.

The funds previously allocated for UF's DEI initiatives, totaling $5 million annually, were moved into a faculty recruitment fund.