n a picture-perfect day for baseball — sunny, breezy and warm — the University of Florida broke ground on a new $65-million baseball stadium Friday.
The ceremony drew several hundred, including some financial donors, UF president Kent Fuchs and dozens of former Gator players, including Matt LaPorta, Darren O’Day and Allen Trammell.
“It’s a great day for Florida baseball, for Florida athletics and for the University of Florida,” Fuchs said. “This is a huge step forward as we set the standard for the SEC and the NCAA.”
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Sticklin said the plan is to start tearing down McKethan Stadium and clearing the site after the 2020 season. At that time, construction will begin on the football facility if UF has met some fundraising benchmarks between now and then, Stricklin said.
“Assuming we hit where we need to, we should be ready to start then,” he said. “That’s about an 18-month project. If we hit all our marks, when our team is coming back from their bowl game after the 2021 season, our football team should be ready to move into their new training center.”