The University of Florida on Saturday celebrated Tom Petty Day in Gainesville as the Gators took on Louisiana State University at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, affectionately known to fans as The Swamp. While Petty, a Gainseville native, has always been an iconic figure in Florida sports culture and crowd-sung renditions of “I Won’t Back Down” have become a staple of Gators games, this marked the first time the school and its decorated football program honored the late rocker with his own day at The Swamp.
Florida’s Tom Petty Day festivities included everything from a pre-game merchandise pop-up outside the stadium to a halftime Petty medley from the school’s marching band. During the game, which was televised nationally on ESPN, Florida players wore helmets emblazoned with the logo of Petty’s longtime band, The Heartbreakers. Per tradition, the 90,000-plus fans in attendance also joined together to sing a moving run through “I Won’t Back Down”.
Related: This 1977 Interview Proves That Tom Petty Was Coolness Personified [Watch]
Scroll down to watch the official Tom Petty Day pre-game hype clip, a full recap video, and the complete halftime performance.
University of Florida Pride of the Sunshine Marching Band – Tom Petty Halftime Tribute – 10/16/22
University of Florida – Tom Petty Day Hype Video
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University of Florida – Tom Petty Day Recap Video
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The acoustic version of “I Won’t Back Down” that appeared in the pre-game hype video was pulled from Live at the Fillmore (1997), the new live album due to be released by the Tom Petty estate on November 25th via Warner Records. The album highlights Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ storied 1997 residency at San Francisco’s The Fillmore during which they were nicknamed the Fillmore House Band. The sold-out, 20-show residency featured rotating setlists and produced some of the band’s most memorable live performances.
To celebrate the new record, previously unreleased, never-before-seen footage unearthed from the Petty estate vaults was released today as part of a short film about the 1997 Fillmore run. Watch the full short film below. Pre-order the Live at the Fillmore (1997) live album in the format of your choice here.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: The Fillmore House Band – Full Short Film