also known as The Pride of the Sunshine, is the official marching band for the University of Florida.  They play at every Florida Gators home football game in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and also performs at various other events such as pep rallies, parades, and the annual Orange and Blue Spring Scrimmage game. A full band usually travels to one away game a year while at other games a small/medium sized pep band will attend.

The first band at the University of Florida was founded by "Pug" Hamilton in 1914. It had 16 members and was called "The Cadet Band". The first band office was in Anderson Hall/

UF Cadet Band 1916

1931 the newly renamed University of Florida Pride of the Sunshine Band in the first season in the Swamp

 Gator marching Band in the late 40’s

1948 Gator Band

In 1948, a mandate for the improvement of band music at the University of Florida by its new president, J. Hillis Miller, brought Colonel Harold Burton Bachman to Gainesville as the new director of bands. 

Colonel Bachman

Bachman formed band from North Dakota National guard during WWI.  The Band became very well known both in the US and Europe during the course of World War I and earned Bachman a sterling reputation.  He then took a job as director of bands at the University of Chicago from 1935 to 1942.  US entry into World War II saw Bachman return to the US Army as director of bands where he was promoted to the rank of Colonel.  During a decade of service from 1948-58, Bachman built, at the University of Florida, what many consider to be one of the premiere college bands of the South. The young concert program matured and thrived under his innovative and inspirational leadership.  

In 1951, the Gator Marching Band drew national publicity from its concerts on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, D. C. and at New York City's Rockefeller Center.  He adjusted well to the growing popularity of bands as part of the gridiron pageantry of collegiate football and the Gator Band distinguished itself for innovative drills and fine adaptations of popular and classical music. 

Gator Band in the 1950’s

Bachman retired from the directorship in 1958, but he was long from ending his influence in the development of American school bands. From 1958-61, he served as the interim chair of the Department of Music at the University of Florida, where he remained a professor emeritus until 1972

The Biggest Boom in Dixie made from a single piece of cowhide (not pieced together) which gives it better acoustics.  This was also an idea of Bachman’s.  It is mostly brought out for appearances by the Alumni band now

Gator Band in1961

From the tenure of Bachman the Gator Band’s routine has been set with only a few minor changes:

As soon as the field is clear the band marches into the Swamp from the entrance tunnel in a pregame block. They take the field opening to the Gator Chomp, while the Voice of the Gator Band, Gerre Reynolds, announces their entrance.

From the Fanfare Block the band plays the Fanfare and takes Orange and Blue down the field, then forms the block "F." Starting "Men of Florida,"

they move into their ceremonial set, and in 2006 formed a 100 commemorating 100 years of Gator Football. From 2007 to present, the ceremonial set has been a state of Florida.

Prior to that the Band had either done a “UF” set as the 1984 Gator band does here

or done a script “Gators” set which the Gator Band does here in the 90’s

or a different version of script “Gators which the Gator Band does here in the 1980’s

From there they play the Star Spangled Banner and the University of Florida's Alma Mater.

Finishing the Star Spangled Banner, the band plays We Are the Boys March to enter into the Gator Spell-out preset. Next they play Gimmie a 'G' while they spell out 'Gators.' Then they play Orange and Blue and Suwannee to take 'Gators' down the field into the UF tunnel from which the team enters.

In the stands, the band plays a large number of school songs. The band plays Gator Chomp, Gator Bait, and Gator Maximus at various points in the game while the team is on defense, and Let's Go Gators, Orange and Blue First Down, and Go Gators while the team is on offense, among other various songs. Songs like You Can Call Me Al and Hey, Baby are crowd favorites.

In the stands

Perhaps the most well known tradition of the Gator Band is the playing of We are the Boys at the conclusion of every third quarter. Beginning with a short intro, the band sets the whole crowd into a swaying motion starting with the first words.

In recent years the Gator Band has received new uniforms

Gator Band Uniform Front

Gator Band Uniform Back

as well as a new Band hall.

Steinbrenner band hall dedicated in 2007

Also, the Pride of the Sunshine was invited and accepted to perform in London for the 2012 Summer Olympics