Extra Safety Measures Taken for Florida-Ole Miss Tailgates
The University of Florida saw tailgates across campus as usual Saturday, when the Florida Gators hosted the Ole Miss Rebels at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
But the campus also saw increased measures from the community to make sure the pregame festivities were safe. The extra measures came in the wake of two University of Mississippi students — Aidan Hamilton and Robert Strang — dying suddenly last Monday. While the incidents were unrelated and no cause of death has been verified, police found kratom — a plant-based drug that acts as a stimulant with low doses and a sedative and opioid-like drug with high doses — at both death scenes.
It was shocking news to campuses across the country, but also a reminder of how widespread this issue is. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted 67,798 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. during a 12-month period ending in March. It also said overdose deaths are the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44 in 2024.
Back home, Gainesville Fire Rescue responded to 721 substance-related overdose calls in 2025, the department’s Director of Community Health Initiatives Brandy Stone told WUFT. That is up from 622 overdose calls in 2022.
UF’s fraternities took extra precaution amid the news and the Rebels’ arrival for the afternoon top-25 clash.
Jack DeAcutis, recording secretary for Kappa Alpha Order, said his fraternity also kept supplies of Narcan, a nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses by pushing opioids off receptors in the brain, in case of an emergency and noted other organizations followed the same precautions.
DeAcutis’ fraternity also participated in a demonstration to properly administer the medication.
Margaux Sproul, programming vice president for Flipping the System — a sexual violence prevention organization that has expanded to overdose prevention — said the organization was trying to distribute as much Narcan as possible ahead of game day, and trying to get the word out to other organizations.
“We’re really just trying to make sure that sororities and fraternities, and other organizations, every UF student for this weekend feels a little more prepared and less anxious about the situation going on,” Sproul said.
Zeta Beta Tau President Owen Blount said his chapter replenished its supply of Narcan, and that members of the IFC executive board made sure all chapters “had a healthy supply of the device and knew how to use it.”
For Blount, safety was critical Saturday.
“A bad example set by just one fraternity will set a bad precedent for all of us,” Blount said Saturday after the game. “Whether it be drug use or hazing incidents, fraternities at UF are grouped with organizations nationwide, and it’s important we set a high standard here.”
Blount said his chapter relies on the Vice President of Risk Prevention and Wellness Austin Schneider to encourage safe tailgating practices.
Schneider said one of the biggest changes his fraternity made was checking IDs to have a better understanding of who is entering its events. He also said his role includes being present and monitoring the events.
“I always have a team of sober monitors dedicated to keeping the chapter and our events safe,” Schneider said Sunday. “Our team communicates throughout the event, watches for potential issues and addresses situations before they escalate.”
Blount said that while he can’t control what his chapter members do, it’s his role as a friend to steer them in the right direction.
“We’re all adults,” Blount said. “People will make decisions that they want to, but our job as organizational leaders is to make sure they take all factors into account and are being as safe as possible.”
Category: College Football, Gators Football, University of Florida
