"I personally think our team is doing great. "Possibly, for those non-dedicated Growl fans, morale could have been down," Smith said. Smith also suggested that other factors, in addition to the lesser-known talent, may have contributed to the sparser attendance. Their main concern was to make the crowd who came happy." Gunna will headline Gator Growl, featuring Neon Trees with comedian Daphnique Springs. The show will take place on Friday, October 8, with doors opening at 5:00 PM. "Growl coordinators know comedy," Smith said, adding "their aim wasn't to draw in thousands and thousands of people. UF Homecoming & Gator Growl is excited to announce Titus O’Neil as the host of Gator Growl 2021. With Titus and Arnez J, "as great as they were, there was just quite a contrast in recognition compared with last year." "I think people were excited to have such a legend at the school." The decision to bring Skynyrd is part of a greater effort by Gator Growl at the University of Florida to return the show to its family-friendly, pep rally beginnings. "I think that last year's Growl committee was able to bring in Bill Cosby, which was amazing," Smith said. Legendary Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd will take the Gator Growl stage this year and bring its Swamp Music to the Gator Nation. Smith, the Growl public relations director, said the students who booked the talent are navigating a changing and more-challenging entertainment industry. Jared was tapped in Fall of 2021, and is beyond excited and honored to be the 2022 Gator Growl Executive Producer. That's a far cry from the 1990s, which saw one sell-out crowd after another for comedians who are now among comedy's best-known names, including Jay Leno, Jeff Foxworthy, David Alan Grier, Gary Shandling and Dennis Miller. Lohse Beeland, director of student activities for UF, was not immediately able to provide annual ticket sales for recent years, but said her recollection is they have been in the "mid-30s to mid-40s." "Last year with Bill Cosby was a blurp," Beeland said. The final number of tickets sold and gate receipts still are being calculated to determine the financial success of the show. "The talent last night was paid $25,000 for Titus, $15,000 for Arnez J, and $27,500 for (musical group) Sugar Ray," Smith said. Carli Smith, director of public relations for Gator Growl, said last year that Cosby was paid about $200,000.