Everyone has heard of the "Cola wars" between Coca-Cola and Pepsi, but many have not heard about UF athletics getting featured on a Coca-Cola can!
Through the University's contract with Coca-Cola in Fall 1999, they began a promotion to honor Dick Strahm, the Oilers' retired football coach. The promotion consisted of commemorative Coca-Cola cans with the UF logo and information about Dick Strahm's legacy. There were only about 5,000 cases of these cans ever made, so they were very much a "limited edition" item for the time! The cans were first sold at UF home games, then sold at grocery stores in the area. Check out the photos below to see what the cans looked like!
Coca-Cola UF Commemorative Can (1999)
The front of the can features UF football players along with the tagline "Always a Champion" which is a reference to coach Strahm's many accomplishments. The backside of the can highlights his accomplishments as the Oilers' football coach. How does this compare to the Coca-Cola cans you might have at home?
The Pulse vol. 14 no. 4 (September 23, 1999)
UF's student newspaper (The Pulse) wrote an article about the promotional Coca-Cola cans on September 23, 1999. The article was titled "Strahm honored with commemorative Coca-Cola cans."