FSU, UF compete for most pledges in battle against COVID-19

The FSU-UF rivalry is one of the most intense in college sports. Now, the two universities will compete for something much more important than state bragging rights — protecting the health and safety of their communities amid the coronavirus pandemic.

For the next two weeks, FSU and UF will compete for the most new student signers of their respective COVID-19 Safety Pledges. Florida State students can sign the pledge at pledgetlh.fsu.edu.

Not only are the health and safety of the campus and Tallahassee communities on the line for FSU, so is school pride. The president of the losing university will have to wear the rival school’s gear, say “Go Noles” or “Go Gators” and sing the rival school’s fight song or alma mater on video for social media.

“Losing this competition is not an option,” FSU President John Thrasher said. “I know our students will rise to the challenge and sign the pledge, as well as practice healthy habits to stop the spread of the coronavirus.”

Individuals signing the pledge agree to follow public health guidelines, such as gathering only in small groups, proper social distancing, wearing masks or face coverings and washing their hands frequently. Signees also commit to keeping the Tallahassee community in good health and recognizing their actions play a direct role in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The competition ends at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13. The school with the highest percentage of all currently enrolled students, as counted on the first day of classes, who sign the pledge will win the contest.

Sign the pledge at pledgetlh.fsu.edu and share on social media with the hashtag #PledgeTLH.