Hard to believe that in 1955, the Florida Legislature had to propose a bill to mandate that the University of Florida and Florida State University compete against each other in football and other sports.  The bill was voted down. Shortly thereafter, Florida Governor LeRoy Collins personally requested President J. Wayne Reitz of the University of Florida to schedule a yearly football series, a request that led to an agreement that started the football series in 1958.

Fast-forward to 2011 and the history of this rivalry is storied and authentically Florida. Husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, friends and co-workers all get behind their team and the week that has become one of the richest traditions in the Sunshine State.

This year, Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has teamed with the two institutions to promote Florida’s nearly 300 agricultural commodities for what is now known as the “Fresh from Florida Sunshine Showdown.”  And it is more than just football; Fresh from Florida has teamed up with Florida’s two favorite teams to support competition across 18 different sports. 

Coaches Will Muschamp and Jimbo Fisher, Billy Donovan and Leonard Hamilton have personally joined the cause of educating and reminding Floridians of how important it is to support our local economy by looking for the “Fresh from Florida” label. 

It has been a long tradition of competition.  But in the end, Gator and Seminole fans alike can agree that when we support Florida’s agriculture industry, we all win.

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