Construction began in 1910, and the facility debuted as the home field for Florida Gators outdoor sports programs during the spring semester of the 1910-1911 academic year.

On football gamedays, the grassy area is used for parking and tailgating, and the brick walkway cutting across Fleming Field is the site of the pregame Gator Walk.

With the installation of wooden bleachers purchased from the city of Gainesville and transported from the old downtown ballpark, University Athletic Field was unveiled as the new home of UF's baseball team in January 1911.

[3] Larger bleachers were added in the summer of 1915, and in October 1915, the facility was rechristened "Fleming Field" in honor of recently deceased former Florida governor Francis P.

However, due to the facility's limited capacity (approximately 5,000 with temporary bleachers and standing room) and the relative inaccessibility of Gainesville in the early 20th century, most "home" games against top opponents were scheduled at larger venues in Jacksonville or Tampa, with a few also played in St. Petersburg or Miami.

[5][6] Gator football first earned national prominence in the 1920s, prompting incoming university president John J. Tigert to begin a drive to construct a new and larger stadium upon his arrival in 1928.

This was an era in which major league teams usually prepared for the regular season by playing exhibition games in several towns instead of establishing a spring training base in one location as is now the case.