In 2006, the Georgia-Florida rivalry ceased to be called ‘The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party’ (officially), and as college football changes, could the location—another key aspect of the annual rivalry—soon change as well?
Outside of a home-and-home in the mid-90s, the rivals have met in Jacksonville every year dating back to 1933. While the 50-50 crowd split at TIAA Bank Field is an iconic aesthetic, Bulldog head coach Kirby Smart sees the neutral site tradition as a bit of a detriment when it comes to recruiting.
Speaking with the SEC Network from Atlanta during the conference’s media days, Smart outlined his reasoning behind a call for returning the game to Athens and Gainesville.
"I'm competing against [coaches] all across the SEC who host recruits at their biggest games," Smart said. "When Auburn plays at Alabama, guess where the recruits are? When LSU and Alabama play, that's where the biggest recruits want to go. It's an opportunity for us to bring these kids, who fly in from all over the country. What game do they want to come see Georgia play? They'd like to see Georgia play Florida, but they can't do that,” Smart said, according to ESPN.
So, what does Smart believe is holding up the process of starting that conversation?
"I just can't get a Florida coach to agree with me,” he went on to say.
Asked about his stance on the matter, new Gators head coach Billy Napier wasn’t about to jump to conclusions before cutting his teeth in the rivalry game.
‘I want to experience the game first, right? I'd like to see that game in Jacksonville, experience that game before I have an opinion on that,” Napier said from the podium at SEC Media Days Wednesday.
The programs’ contract with the city of Jacksonville runs through at least 2023 with an option for 2024 and 2025, so as Napier said to end his comments on the matter “time will tell” if the game ever makes it back to college campuses.
The Bulldogs routed the Gators 34-7 in 2021 with the 2022 edition of the rivalry set for October 29th.
