Florida Gators have Jersey Debacle Before Vanderbilt Game

Three Florida players are in temporary jerseys as a result of a pregame mishap against Vanderbilt.

Florida Gators guard Boogie Fland (0) is one of three players with temporary jersey numbers. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

NASHVILLE, Tenn.-- The Florida Gators are beginning its road game at No. 10 Vanderbilt, hoping to win its fourth-straight SEC game and third against a ranked opponent. However, Florida will have to do it after a rare uniform debacle.

Jerseys for Boogie Fland, Xaivian Lee and Micah Handlogten apparently did not make it to Nashville, leading Florida to give the trio alternate jersey numbers. Fland, who traditionally wears 0, is in the No. 33 jersey. Lee, who dons No. 1, is in No. 99. Finally, Handlogten, who wears 3, will wear 34 on Saturday.

Fland's new No. 33 is currently worn by reserve Cooper Josefsberg.

The jersey debacle was first reported by Vanderbilt Commodores on SI's Joey Dwyer.

Art. pic.twitter.com/mlnlWsIkAf

— Joey Dwyer (@joey_dwy) January 17, 2026

While not ideal, Florida was able to avoid a rare pregame technical foul with the alternate jerseys for Fland, Lee and Handlogten. In a game against Texas A&M on Jan. 5, 2023, head coach Todd Golden's first year with the program, the Gators were on the positive end of a pregame technical on the Aggies, who had left their jerseys at the hotel.

The incident caused a brief delay, and Florida began the game with a 1-0 lead as a result. The Gators would go on to lose, 66-63.

"I'm 37, I've played basketball my whole life and that's never happened to me in an aspect or any point in my career," Golden said after the game over three years ago. "It wasn't ideal. I thought we were ready to go and we were sitting there maybe 15 or 20 minutes, waiting for these guys to show up. It is what it is. We didn't handle the situation well enough."

Now with this year's jersey debacle settled, Florida will need to put the gaff in the rearview mirror as the Gators go for its first top 10 win of the season, first win in Nashville since 2022 and its first win over a top 10 Vanderbilt team in Nashville since 1968.

Fland and Lee, specifically, will need to ignore the pregame incident as the two will look to help lead Florida to a big road win. After some early-season struggles, Fland has completely turned things around in the last week.

The sophomore recorded a season-high 23 points in the win over Tennessee a week ago before recording a 15-point, seven-assist, five-rebound night against Oklahoma on Tuesday.

Lee, meanwhile, is trending downwards after a 24-point effort against George Washington a month ago. The senior transfer has not recorded a 20-point game since, has no 15-point games since the win over Colgate on Dec. 21 and is shooting just 31 percent from the field over the last four games, including an 0-for-6 mark from deep against Oklahoma.

Still, early signs are in Florida's favor as the Gators currently lead Vanderbilt, 23-17, with 11:03 left in the first half. Alex Condon has a game-high nine points, while Thomas Haugh and Isaiah Brown have each added five.