The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party - even if they don't officially go by that moniker anymore - is an annual tradition between bitter rivals in Jacksonville. Besides two outlier seasons in the mid-1990s, Georgia and Florida have been playing at the neutral site every year since 1933. The annual matchup played on the final weekend of October has produced some pretty incredible moments both on the field and in the tailgating lots outside.
In recent years, at least on the Georgia side, there seems to be a growing desire to depart from the annual destination. To some degree, it feels almost inevitable that the game will become a home-and-home between the two schools. Chip Towers from the AJC joined Chris Goforth on Saturday to discuss why that may not be the case.
"I think it's going to continue to be played in Jacksonville, whether that's every year or on a rotation," Chip Towers said. "But if I were having to put money down in Vegas, I'd say that it will continue to be played there every year."
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has made it clear that he wants the game to return to their respective campuses. He believes that both schools miss out on a valuable recruiting weekend every other year. That said, money talks and the money says it should stay in Jacksonville.
"It really comes down to money," he said. "The fact of the matter is when you compare playing that game home-and-home versus the current arrangement you have with Jacksonville - which is not going to be static because it is constantly improved because it's important to Jacksonville to keep it there - but under the current terms you have in there, you're talking about $45 million versus $19 million over 10 years."
The current contract ensures that the game will be played in Jacksonville through at least 2023, with an option for two more years. Despite all of the talk about moving, do not be surprised if that contract is renewed again when that time comes.