Athletics
Intercollegiate Athletics
The University of Florida athletics program finished sixth in the 2007-08 Sports Academy Directors' Cup standings, marking the 25th consecutive year the Gator program has ranked among the nation's top 10 in all-sports standings.
A school-record 12 Gator athletic teams turned in top-10 finishes in 2007-08, marking the seventh consecutive year that 10 or more Gator athletic teams finished among the nation's top 10. This is the fourth time 12 Florida teams were among the nation's top 10 in a single season (1992-93, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2007-08).
The University of Florida captured the Southeastern Conference All-Sports Trophy in 2007-08. Florida led the league with five SEC Championships in 2007-08, raising its total to 42 since the 1998-99 academic year, the most by any conference school during the 10-year time span. The Gators took the SEC crown in five women's sports - golf, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.
In 2007-08, 187 University of Florida student-athletes earned a spot on the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll. That number matches UF's second-highest figure turned in last season and is second only to South Carolina's 200 for the 2007-08 academic year. The SEC annually selects an Academic Honor Roll for each team that honors student-athletes who have posted cumulative 3.0 grade point averages for the previous academic year.
UF is the only SEC school to place 100 or more student-athletes on the Academic Honor Roll each of the last 11 years. UF set its school record with 193 honorees in 2002-03. Since 1980, Florida leads the league with a total of 2,519 recipients.
Recreation
Students are encouraged to participate in all forms of recreational activities. More than 90 percent take advantage of the numerous outdoor courts and playing fields on campus, and in the O'Connell Center, the Student Recreation and Fitness Center, the Southwest Rec Center and the Florida Gymnasium for indoor sports. In all, Florida offers more than 60 intramural and club sports ranging from archery to weightlifting.
Near the campus are many recreational lakes and rivers, including university-owned Lake Wauburg. The beaches of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean are just a short drive away.
One thousand people can participate simultaneously in eight different recreational activities in the O'Connell Center, which seats 12,000 for concerts and other events. Also on campus are open spaces, small ponds, picnic areas, shady nooks and an 81-acre wildlife sanctuary that provide opportunities to enjoy Florida's year-round outdoor life.
