For years, Freddie Vazquez has shown up for the Miami Hurricanes. He showed up when the team was down and rebuilding. He showed up when the wins were scarce and the losses aplenty. There isn’t an award big enough that can actually reward him for all he has done for the Canes. On its part, the program is recognizing his efforts.

Vazquez is being awarded the Canes fan of the year award, along with a $1,000 prize. Although the recognition is huge, the 1000 bucks with it does look too slim. The good news became public when the official Miami Hurricanes page posted it on X.

The tweet read, “For 43 years and 400+ games, Freddie ‘CaneFreak’ Vasquez has lived and breathed The U. Traveling from Tampa for every home game, his passion and creativity never fade. Tonight, @AutoNation names him the 2025 Canes Fan of the Year and awards him a $1,000 prize.”

For 43 years, a streak starting back in 1982, Vazquez has driven to every Hurricanes game from his home in Tampa. It doesn’t matter whether they play an in-state game or feature miles away from home. Even for the home games, Vazquez travels 500 miles for 8 hours from his place in Tampa.

But to his dismay, the material price that came attached with the recognition appears to be too small. Most probably, the cash prize is less than what he spends on gas in a season. Yet what makes his journey even more interesting is the way he shows up. He arrives each time with a unique costume, an art he has perfected over the years.

But apart from all this, he makes sure to visit the handicapped section of the Hard Rock Stadium to take photos with fellow fans. What became an iconic moment of this whole tradition was the time when a young boy named Stephen stood up in his wheelchair to take a photo with him. The moment transformed him from a mere fan to an icon who embodies the very spirit of the game.

Meanwhile, the Miami Hurricanes under Coach Mario Cristobal started the season well. But their bid to the playoffs has weakened after suffering defeats at the hands of Louisville and SMU. These losses have them as 7th in the ACC. What’s more concerning is that this seems to be a repeat of the heartbreak they suffered last season.

The Miami Hurricanes are faltering at the finish line again

The Miami Hurricanes started the season in an impressive fashion, as they remained unbeaten for five games straight. They were having a great season until they lost twice in three weeks. They were unbeaten and looking to build on their impressive 10-2, 2024 season. However, they appear to have lost their way, as they seem to be experiencing a similar collapse to last year. Especially after the heartbreaking loss to SMU last week, where they led until halftime and lost after a costly interception in overtime. This week’s AP polls have them at 18th, way off from their top-10 contention and below fellow two-loss teams.

The bad luck doesn’t seem to end for Mario Cristobal, as there is a possibility of missing out on the Playoffs. All this after rebuilding the program into a national championship contender seems unfair. Josh Pate seemed to be agreeing to this narrative when he said, “Notre Dame would have to lose a third game to come close to dropping beneath Miami. And this surprised me. I’m not shocked that Notre Dame was above them. I am shocked Miami is that low.”

Next up, they take on Syracuse in Week 11.