2021 College Ballpark of the Year: Florida Ballpark

The annual Ballpark Digest Awards continue, as University of Florida AD Scott Stricklin discusses our selection of Florida Ballpark at Alfred A. McKethan Field as our 2021 College Ballpark of the Year. 

Stricklin, UF athletic director since November 2016, directed the development of Florida Ballpark at Alfred A. McKethan Field as a replacement for Alfred A. McKethan Field. The new ballpard has an impact both on fans and players alike, while also covering current trends in college ballparks and college baseball. The popularity of college baseball across the country is growing in leaps and bounds, with plenty of new and renovated facilities driving fan interest and improving player performance.

Florida Ballpark exemplifies this new breed of college ballpark by addressing multiple needs. Created to please fans with game-day amenities like plenty of shade and a 360-degree concourse, while also pleasing players with expanded workout facilities, including a private nutrition area, video and team meeting rooms, indoor pitching and batting cages, and enhanced training and rehabilitation areas, Florida Ballpark addresses both sides of the equation.  Creating a top-tier college facility, and how the new ballpark fits into a competitive college-baseball landscape. With the level of play improving, the fans respond, and as fans respond, college put more resources into the sport.

There’s a reason why the SEC schools typically dominate the top 10 in attendance in college baseball. The weather’s nice, and schools have really invested in the facilities. It’s made for a very unique culture. Football is king, but in May and June, when postseason time is ramping up and you have Regionals and Super Regionals leading up to the College World Series, if your school is in that mix, playing for something important, there’s a tremendous amount of passion in these facilities, these stadiums like the Florida Ballpark. They are showcased during that time at a high, high level, and it’s why we invest all the money into it. The payoff is when you have a nice June night and there’s 10,000 people and you are on national TV playing one game to go to the College World Series. That’s a pretty special environment.