What we love about the Michigan-Florida game in 2017
By Harold Hughes
A new partnership between BANDWAGON and Utrip will help sports fans make the most of these travel opportunities by taking the hassle out of trip planning and enabling them to stay focused on the game. This partnership fully integrates the Utrip planner into the BANDWAGON ticket buying platform. The planner will offer itineraries for the major cities in which college football away games or neutral site games will be played during the 2017-2018 season. We are focusing in on several early-season games that we will feel our great matchups.
Week 1: Michigan vs. Florida, Saturday, September 2 at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Overview: This is the ninth Advocare Classic to be hosted in “The Jerry Dome” and is one of the more intriguing matchups featuring two traditional college football powers in the series. Michigan is replacing 18 starters from last season, and Florida has questions at quarterback. However, both are ranked in almost all of the preseason Top 25 polls with the Wolverines holding a composite edge. That could spell trouble for the Gators since higher ranked team has won the past seven Advocare Classics.
Why do we love this game: We chose this game not just for the matchup between the two teams on the field, but for the off-the-field fan bases. Both travel well and bring a lot of energy. That helps make the game more fun in the gigantic AT&T Stadium. Attendance has been as low as 46,000 for this game and as high as 90,000, which was when Michigan played here in 2012. So, expect a frenzied crowd. With Gators and Wolverine faithful buying tickets, we feel the crowd will be close to filling the 80,000 seats in the stadium. We also love the setting. Arlington is called the American Dream City for a reason. Check out the killer craft brew scene there. If you are looking for something not football related, but still in the sports realm, we recommend the International Bowling Hall of Fame. Or get your adventure on at Six Flags over Texas.
Series History: Two great programs, but not a lot of shared history. Michigan leads the series 3-0 with all the games coming between 2003 and 2016 including last year’s 41-7 Citrus Bowl victory.
Big Number to Impress Your Friends: Three. That is the number of Heisman winners for both program, which ties them for fifth of all time.
Big Number to Really Impress Your Friends: 41. That is the number of points Michigan scored on the Florida in its last two meetings, and it is the same number Michigan gave up when it lost to Alabama in the Advocare Classic in 2012.
Cheering: Florida fans have a tradition of chanting Orange one on side of the stadium and Blue echoing from the other. This is reserved for home games at the Swamp, but technically this is a “home game” for the Gators. We will see what happens. Of course, Michigan’s Hail to the Victors is a famed fight song.
Activate: Want to learn more about planning your trip to the game, then click here. Want tickets, click here.
