Florida basketball is playing 3,000 miles from Gainesville this weekend, but the trip out west to San Francisco is a special moment for UF alums throughout the Bay Area.
Florida basketball practicing for Sweet 16 showdown with Maryland
Florida basketball guards go through shooting drills during the open portion of UF’s Sweet 16 practice at the Chase Center on Wednesday.
Over 20 years ago, Ocala native and University of Florida alum Jamie Froehling moved 3,000 miles from the area and school that defined her.
Thursday evening, the team she cares so deeply about will meet her in the City by the Bay.
Florida basketball is headed west this week to San Francisco, host city of the March Madness West Regional. Thursday evening, the Gators will battle Maryland in the Sweet 16 at the Chase Center, where Froehling and other UF alums will be cheering them on.
It’s a moment for which Froehling and other members of the Bay Area Gator Alumni Club have waited a long time for. The Florida volleyball team has come to Palo Alto four times since 2003, but that’s it for Gator sports teams in the Bay Area.
Froehling cares deeply about the Gators. She attended school in the 1990s as a double Gator, during the Steve Spurrier glory days. What’s the name of her dog? Steve.
She also attended the 1994 Elite Eight, where UF defeated UConn in Miami to advance to its first Final Four in program history.
The Bay Area alumni club also means a lot to her. In 2002, she lived in Tampa but attended a wedding in San Francisco. She watched the UF vs. Miami game. The game, a 41-16 shellacking by the ‘Canes, is a sore spot for many Gator fans. But Froehling remembers it as a day that changed her life.
She met a fellow UF alum at the watch party. A year later, she moved to San Francisco. The relationship, unfortunately, didn’t last – yet Froehling remained in SF and kept her Gator fandom with her.
A Golden State reunion for Todd
The Gator Nation is stronger than others think in the Bay Area. Froehling’s car has a UF banner around her license plate, and people will honk when driving by. Her partner, Mike, didn’t understand why. After all, he has no Florida connection. He is, however, a University of San Francisco alum, the same school where UF basketball coach Todd Golden coached.
“It’s kind of the icing on the cake to be able to go out there, see a lot of friends and family, and people that will kind of support our program as adopting the Gators out west will be awesome,” Golden said.
Golden holds deep roots in the Bay Area. He played at St. Mary’s, located just 25 miles outside San Francisco. Then, he coached at the University of San Francisco from 2019-2022. His final season, he led the Dons to their best season since the early 80s.
Mike thought Golden could built sustained success at USF, but Froehling knew he’d depart for greener pastures. She never expected that school to be Florida. Froehling was confident Golden would succeed at UF.
She compared his analytical style to Moneyball. She also knows the pull a school like UF has on recruits, and the pull of Golden – who doesn’t look like a typical basketball coach.
“I knew he was young. He’s pretty cute for a basketball coach,“ she said. “He looks like a normal guy. He looks like some guy that just works in tech out here.”
Now, she hopes the Gators landed another Billy Donovan – a young coach who can build a dynasty.
‘I don’t know that we’ll ever have another opportunity for this’
When the brackets were announced, Froehling was one of the few to celebrate the Gators’ draw. Yet, she tried to keep her excitement to a minimum. Her brother, who lives in Atlanta, initially was going to visit last weekend. He held off, though, deciding he’d visit for the “inevitable” games in San Francisco. For much of Sunday’s game, his confidence seemed like it might bite Florida. Then Walter Clayton Jr. saved the squad.
She was initially going to skip the Sweet 16 and only go to the Elite Eight on Saturday, but after receiving multiple texts, she changed her mind.
“They were like, ‘I want to see the Gators at the Chase Center. I don’t know that we’ll ever have another opportunity for this.’” Froehling said. “I was like, ‘They’re right. I’m going to go.’”
Froehling believes this game can also revitalize the alumni club. During the Gator heydays of the mid 2000s, watch parties were packed. But COVID restrictions and Florida football’s struggles dampened enthusiasm for watch parties.
The group is back, though, and hosting a watch party for Thursday’s game vs. Maryland. Froehling expects this weekend, plus the increased success of the football and basketball teams, could signal a new golden age for UF fans in the Bay Area.
“I think when the Gators are doing well, everyone’s a Gator,” Froehling said.
Tipoff Thursday vs. the Terrapins is at 7:39 p.m.
Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him by email at [email protected] and follow him @Noah_ram1 on X/Twitter.
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