SAN ANTONIO — On the surface, Florida Victorious’ Final Four celebration was about the past. From the name of the bar it was held at – Be Kind and Reward – to the Purple Porpoise shirts worn by the bartenders.
The event, put on by Florida athletics NIL collective, was designed to remind Florida basketball fans of what winning felt like. A reminder of the dominance of the 2006 and 2007 national championship teams.
But the event was also about the present – a chance for UF fans in San Antonio to celebrate the current squad Todd Golden has built.
The celebration ran from 8 p.m.-12 a.m. in downtown San Antonio and included free admission for all Florida Victorious members and a $25 entry for all non-members.
Inside, it was all-you-can-drink with bartenders wearing shirts honoring old Gainesville haunts, such as the Purple Porpoise, and drinks inspired by the Gators – including one named “Gator Boys Stay Hot.”
Florida Victorious Vice President of Marketing – Bri Wade – said the event received confirmation the moment Florida defeated Texas Tech.
“As soon as we won, as soon as the buzzer ring, I emailed them saying the Gators are there, we’ll be there,” Wade said.
The retro theme was by design of course.
“This is such a big deal us making it to the Final Four, and a common theme across like Twitter, with our members and fans, that this feels a lot like the good old days and the nostalgia,” Wade said. “So wanted to play into that, and found the perfect venue here”
It really did feel like a blast to the past for the fans in attendance. Ari Luxemberg, a UF alum and entertainment lawyer from Los Angeles would know. After all, he’s attended each of Florida’s last three trips to the Final Four – 2006, 2007 and 2014.
He’ll never forget how he made it to Indianapolis in 2006. He spent the first weekend of March Madness in Las Vegas. When the week ended, he had money left over, so he bet on the third-seeded Gators to make the Final Four. They did, and he used that money to book ...
