Florida refusing to use Vanderbilt’s locker room makes for awkward look (Photos)

Dan Mullen and the Florida Gators didn’t use the locker room at Vanderbilt.

Teams might not love traveling to Nashville to play the Vanderbilt Commodores in football, but it is rarely because of what Derek Mason provides on the field, as their visiting locker room has frequently been compared to that of a small high school. Not willing to put his team in that environment, Florida head coach Dan Mullen chose to voice his displeasure in a very public fashion.

At halftime of No. 6 Florida’s matchup against Vandy, Mullen refused to lead his team into that cramped locker room. This comes after he showed up to the stadium at the last possible minute and warmed up without pads on in order to minimize time spent in that locker room.

The Florida Gators were, in effect, protesting Vanderbilt’s cramped visiting locker room

Florida is one of the many programs that have been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it can be assumed that this was a preventative measure in order to minimize the chance of a potential spread within the team. However, knowing Mullen, he could just as well be doing this to needle an SEC East foe.

Florida went into halftime with just a 17-10 lead despite being ranked No. 6 in the nation. However, Mullen’s halftime talk just outside of the end zone seems to have worked, as Kyle Trask led the team down the field before Dameon Pierce plunged it in from one yard out to extend the lead to 24-10.

Vanderbilt is a school that plays basketball games on an elevated court with such expansive sidelines that players and coaches often sit under the baskets during the game, so poor visiting conditions are not out of the ordinary regardless of the sport. Rather than sitting in that inadequate locker room, Mullen chose to stick it to the Commodores.

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