Florida Gators

The Gator gymnasts call the Stephen C. O’Connell Center home. The O’Connell Center's main arena has showcased every possible collegiate championship event on multiple occasions. Three NCAA Championships were contested in the O’Connell Center (1986, 1997 and 2010). In addition, the O’Connell Center has played host to NCAA Region and Southeastern Conference Championship events several times, including regional competition on April 6, 2013.

A record crowd of 10,855 viewed the Jan. 18, 2008 gymnastics meet featuring No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Georgia at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Florida gymnastics turned in the program’s fifth-highest attendance average of more than 5,800 per meet in 2011, which ranked fourth in the nation. Six of the program’s top seven attendance averages have come in the last six seasons.

Both meet and practice facilities are held in the O’Connell Center, which covers 3.6 acres and contains 292,000 square feet of space. The O’Connell Center has been home to Gator gymnastics’ competitions and practice facility since the 1980-81 season.

The arena seats 10,126 for gymnastics meets and is home for the Gator basketball and indoor track teams, as well as the Gator volleyball team. The O’Connell Center is also the site for Florida swimming & diving and indoor track & field competitions.

Gymnastics Studio

The Gator gymnastics team perfect their routines in one of the nation’s top practice facilities. Renovation to the prior practice facility, which served the program since the Stephen C. O’Connell Center opened in 1980, began in May of 2012 and was completed in late December of 2012. The north wall of the O’Connell Center was pushed out to add 6,600 square feet to the facility, now giving the team 18,500 square feet to tumble, dance, flip and fly.

The upgrades and additions to the facility include:

• Three vaults, two with resi-pit landing areas and one with a deep-foam pit
• Four balance beams plus two supplemental practice beams
• Four sets of uneven bars.
• A floor exercise area
• An in-ground trampoline and tramp-bar
• An in-ground tumble trampoline and 60-foot rod floor leading to deep foam pit.
• A channel pit with spotting platforms
• A single bar trainer over foam pit
• High-definition video recorders and monitors at each workout station – allowing instant feedback for coaches and gymnast
• Cardio exercise equipment within studio space
• New offices for coaching and support staff adjacent to the studio
• Office area includes main lobby welcoming visitors with seating, graphics and team recognition
• A new training room and nutrition bar for student-athletes

The facility also implemented numerous sustainable initiatives in the design and construction, earning it a LEED Gold rating.

Explore the Gator Gymnastics Facilities

• Gator Gymnastics Office
• Locker Room
• South Endzone
• Practice Facility

STEPHEN C. O'CONNELL CENTER RECORDS

Boldface denotes Gator gymnasts

Gator Gymnastics Fan Support

Florida is nationally recognized as a hotbed of collegiate gymnastics. The crowds are getting bigger each year at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, with the Gators averaging more than 5,860 fans per meet in 2013 -- the nation's fourth-highest attendance average and the fifth-highest season average in the program's history.

Seven of the program’s top 10 crowds have come in the last six seasons. The 2008 regular-season dual meet featuring then No. 1 Florida versus No. 2 Georgia drew a Gator gymnastics record crowd of 10,855. The 2010 Gators Link to Pink meet versus LSU drew the program’s third-largest crowd of 9,198.  The 2011 Gators Link to Pink meet drew the program’s overall fifth-largest crowd (8,272). Florida’s strong fan base played a big role in the Gators being awarded the 2010 NCAA Gymnastics Championships. The Gators will play host to NCAA action again in 2013 when the NCAA Southeast Region Championships are held in the O’Connell Center.