GAINESVILLE — The University of Florida Board of Trustees unanimously voted to hire Stuart Bell as interim president. Bell, the former president of the University of Alabama, is set to begin his role on July 1.

Bell's contract will run through June 30, 2027, or until he is named permanent president. He will replace current UF Interim President Donald Landry, who is set to receive $2 million due to a provision in his one-year contract expiring at the end of August. Bell is the third person in the last two years to lead the University of Florida on an interim basis, following former University of Florida president Ben Sasse, who stepped down prior to the current interim appointments.

The Florida Board of Governors sought to delay the University of Florida presidential hiring process, citing alleged compliance concerns. Florida Board of Governors Chair Alan Levine stated he planned to block confirmation of Bell from appearing on the agenda for a meeting. Levine suggested that UF Board Chair Mosi Hosseini has accumulated too much power, and that the board may be out of compliance with state regulations.

The Florida attorney general's office disputed the claim that the UF Board is out of compliance with state regulations. UF hired the law firm GrayRobinson to offer a legal opinion on compliance concerns, and GrayRobinson issued an opinion finding UF's board to be in compliance with governance standards. The Board of Governors' agenda did not include a confirmation vote for Bell.

Levine said the UF board agreed to a third-party governance expert reviewing the governance documents of all universities in the system. He added that the Board of Governors will hold a special meeting "as soon as legally possible" to consider Bell's nomination. Hosseini stated it is time to "put all of our personal agendas aside."