Steve Spurrier weighs in on potentially moving Georgia-Florida rivalry game from Jacksonville
There has been some debate in recent years about moving The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party away from Jacksonville, particularly on Georgia’s side.
However, nothing has been decided yet, even as more people weigh in on making it a home-and-home series.
On Monday, former Florida coach Steve Spurrier joined “The Paul Finebaum Show” and said he understands Georgia’s point of view, since that’s how Gator fans felt back before he took over as coach (via 247Sports):
“I understand what Georgia’s saying now,” Spurrier said. “Back in 1990 when I got (to Florida) my first year, the Gators wanted to move the game. We had lost 15 out of the last 20 there and they were telling me, ‘Coach we can’t beat em there.’ Well I said, ‘Wait a minute.’ We get to take the bus ride over there. It’s the Gator Bowl. It’s on Florida soil. (Georgia has) to fly down. They have to travel a long way for fans. I said, ‘This ought to be to our advantage.’ So we start turning it into an advantage I guess. We had a lot better team than they did in the early ’90s. And then the Gators were happy playing there all the time.
“But I can see Georgia’s side of it, tell you the truth. It’d be very similar if the Gators were to go to the (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) in Atlanta and play Georgia there every year. It wouldn’t make sense. But Jacksonville is a wonderful place. A lot of history there also, and the old Gator Bowl that’s now a different name. But we hope it stays there.”
The contract with the city of Jacksonville is up after the 2021 season, so we’ll see what happens in the near future with the game.
For now, though, it remains in Jacksonville. This year, it should be a great matchup between two SEC East title contenders.
Florida – Georgia game in Jax hurts recruiting says a whiny cry baby
You do realize that both coaches have publicly acknowledged the biennial recruiting cost that the location exacts on the two teams, right? It is a real cost that exists regardless of whether the benefits outweigh it.
How does having the game in Jacksonville hurt recruiting? Does it eliminate one “official visit” opportunity or something? I hadn’t heard about this before, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about.
BullGator: Yes you cannot “technically” have an official visit off campus, not to mention what are you going to show a potential recruit during a travel game where time is already limited with preparation for the upcoming game. If it is still the same as when I played travel/away games are pretty hectic for the staff with set-up and break-down, game plans, player adjustments and pre-game routines such as warm-up, trainer prep and “final game plans”.
Thanks, FD, for the intel. Interesting.
It’s really all about the money. Both schools make a nice chunk every year instead of every other year. The big money boosters will have a big say.
I understand the recruiting situation. But still, it’s an event. A tradition. Selfishly, it’s a great trip. Golf, food, drink followed by a college football game.
Doesn’t get much better than that, especially if your team wins.
The people that are here from both sides surely seem to enjoy themselves. The golf courses are a lot more crowded Thursday and Friday before the game and even Sunday Monday after. I take those days off now. I expect the atmosphere to be crazier than it has been in years with the upcoming game.
I’ve starting staying in St. Augustine the last few years. World Golf Village. Two nice courses and great restaurants in Old St. Augustine. Much quieter.
You can’t go wrong with the King and Bear or Slammer and Squire. I don’t get to play them near as much as I would like. You are making a nice choice. The WGV is a lot calmer than downtown Jacksonville. Enjoy.
I’m with you JTF. Until I moved from Florida 10 years ago would regularly venture up to the cocktail party, although most of the times I was there Spurrier sent us home with our puppy tails tucked! Jaxvlle is an experience like no other and would hate to see it change but understand it’s always about the money. BTW St. Johns Golf and Country Club is another great track in the area, at least it used to be.
Thanks, I will have to give the course a try sometime. Go Dawgs!
Why not do a home and home?
Every other big time rivalry that used to be played at a neutral site and then was switched to a home and home setup has suffered nationally. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Take Auburn-Alabama. That game used to be played at Legion field and it was one of THE rival games of the season to have on your calendars. Not anymore. As much as that may pain AU or Bammer fans to hear it, it’s not a national event that dominates it’s weekend anymore. For the most part, the rest of the country, at least outside of The SEC East couldn’t really care much at all about either Georgia or Florida. Nobody would watch the game between the two except for the fact that it’s located in Jax still. That in and of itself makes it a party and a date to be circled on the college football calendar for everyone. Same to me as the red river rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma. I’ve never been to it, but that game is so much more because it is at a neutral site every year. Imagine the RRR without the Texas State Fair in the back ground. Does anyone watch Georgia vs Tennessee, other than the fans of those 2 teams? Certainly not. Imagine how much more fantastic at the end of the year it would be if Michigan and TOSU played each other in the Superbowl or some other NFL site in a major metropolitan area? Or perhaps USC vs Notre Dame? It’s really like having an extra bowl game each year, or in our case, in the middle of the season. It would be so much lessened were it to be a home and away game. Nothing really any different than any of the other regular SEC teams on our schedules. This is the middle of the season for these 2 teams around which their seasons hinge upon. Gotta play good and have a good record going into Jax, and how you do in Jax pretty much defines what the rest of your season is going to offer.
The Iron Bowl doesn’t dominate Rivalry Week? Where have you been they have been on CBS as the marquee SEC game for years now its almost a guarantee that game is shown Nationwide every year and how many times has Gameday highlighted that game I’ve lost count over the years. Even when Clemson and USC were on equal footing both winning double digit seasons the Iron Bowl was selected for Gameday over the Palmetto Bowl which is the second longest active streak rivalry in the country behind Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the longest active streak instate rivalry in the country. USC and Clemson played on what was known as Big Thursday during the State Fair in Columbia at Williams Brice for years until it became a home and home series this lasted from 1896-1959. If you knew the history of this rivalry it is the most underrated rivalry in all of sports to include deeper hate than than Red Sox and Yankees, Michigan Ohio State. Clemson since its time of creation in 1896 has had a lot of political power in South Carolina government headed by Governor Pitchfork Ben Tillman who wanted to eradicate USC’s very existence. For heavens sake Clemson’s ROTC marched from Clemson to Columbia with rifles afixed with bayonets to the Horseshoe. No moving venues does not affect the bitterness of rivlaries.
Here’s a concept
Year 1 Jacksonville
Year 2 Atlanta
Year 3 Gainesville
Year 4 Athens
The problem with that Cola_cock is that Atlanta is in no way an impartial site. What a lot of people fail to point out is the fact that while Jacksonville may be in Florida, there are more Georgia fans living there than Florida fans. It is rather sickening to drive through that city and see as many UGLY license plates or bumper stickers on the vehicles that you do, but jax is a very impartial site. There is nothing at all impartial about a location like Atlanta.
There are definitely not more UGA fans than UF fans in Jacksonville. The UGA fans are more vocal now than they have been in a while, but they are still outnumbered about 2-1.
Still both schools will only be alotted tickets for half of the stadium so it will still be 50-50 if in Atlanta or Jacksonville. The addition of neutral site in Atlanta is that both schools will have the chance to play in their own house and play on NFL stadiums. That right there would be one heck of recruiting advantage to both Florida and Georgia, it will still be unique to this series that sets them apart from other SEC rivalries.
Not true. The UGA bravado as of late may make it seem that way but it is more like 3-1 UF vs UGA.
The recruiting argument is a silly one, to me. The event is pretty exclusive these days …meaning there is a small handful left that do it this way. It would seem more like a great selling point to a recruit. That …”this game is so special, so unique and with so much tradition, we play in Jax every year” …The recruiting spin is BS. I’ve been to 5 myself, growing up. And it’s just a different experience. It would be a shame if they moved it.
Works for the SECCG. They haven’t changed the site when UGA wins the east. Isn’t UGA 1-2 in those games? 1-3 if you count the NC.
Recruiting aside, there is no reason for the local economies of the two schools not to get the benefit of that game instead of Jacksonville every year. Especially if they don’t like the name of the game. Screw Jacksonville. Ingrates.
Good point about the local economies. The schools make a big deal about how much they get paid from Jax for the game, but the $$$ don’t flow into the communities at all–just the school coffers.
I just think the campuses should host the games so that more people would get a chance to see the game in person. Essentially the same contributors get tickets every year, plus students. At least every other year twice as many of each schools’ fans would get the opportunity.
It’s easy to be conflicted about this. On one hand, it’s one of the greatest spectacles and traditions in CFB. On the other, it hurts both schools’ recruiting opportunities (not just UGA, as some takes seem to emphasize). Kirby has played in this game several times and knows the importance it carries with the UGA faithful. It would be great for these teams to line up in Athens and Gainesville, keep the $$$ local, enhance the recruiting – there are a lot of pros. The con of losing TWLOCP may be too big to overcome, though. I suspect Jax will throw a ton more money at the next contract negotiations. I also believe that if a change is made, it won’t be to strictly home and home. Jax and ATL may enter into the equation.
The recruiting argument, especially coming from Smart, is a pretty stupid argument. Clearly he’s not struggling in that area and needing an extra home game to overcome his struggles. Bringing money to the local economy is about the only legit reason to have it a home and home, but I really don’t think that’s enough to change almost 100 years of history and tradition in Jacksonville.
When you recruit like Kirby does, going toe-to-toe with Saban for so many kids, you’re at a disadvantage. Recruits attend Bama-LSU, but can’t experience UGA-Florida. Every little bit helps.
I mostly agree with you, though. I really don’t want the game moved unless it alternates ATL-Jax. The WLOCP needs to remain a special event.
“I understand what Georgia’s saying now,” Spurrier said. It looks like Spurrier isn’t up to speed on “what Georgia’s saying now.”
I think most UGA fans want to keep it in Jacksonville so they can enjoy dominating the series in Florida just like Florida did during Spurrier’s days.
Kirby is all about the bottom line (recruiting) aspects of it.
Smart spoke at length about how the Georgia-Florida game hurts the Bulldogs from a recruiting standpoint during the 2018 season.
“Yeah, absolutely it costs you a recruiting weekend. You don’t get to have anybody, they don’t get to have anybody,” Smart said. “So our version of the LSU-Alabama game is held in Jacksonville and we don’t have prospects. So it’s not conducive to recruiting, absolutely it’s not.
Good luck dominating the series like Spurrier did. I know UGA fans like to believe they’re going to be this unbeatable dynasty, but I hate to break it to you, it’s not going to happen. Don’t expect your little streak to last much longer.
Joe Marks, as long as Kirby keeps out recruiting Dan I will like UGA’s chances. So far so good.
It’s like Spurrier said, they had a better team. With the way Kirby’s recruiting he absolutely has better talent and depth. That usually leads to having a better team.
Florida fans like to think Mullen is a better head coach than Smart, although I can’t figure how they came to that conclusion. We’ll just have to see which fanbase’s wishes come closer to reality.
Spurrier also said that UGA always out recruited him and yet he kept beating them. As a Georgia fan you should know that recruiting well does not equate winning NCs
“So far so good”, like a one year sample size means anything
UGA dominated for 20 years and then UF dominated for 20. The last 10 have been about even. I don’t see either team dominating over a 20 year period again. Too much as changed.
The only 2 year “dynasty” ever
Perhaps the OBC has hit upon a compromise without realizing it – instead of home & home, do Jacksonville then Atlanta?
Still doesn’t solve the recruiting disadvantage angle both coaches desire by losing a home game recruiting opportunity every other year
I’m pretty sure that doesn’t hurt recruiting. I mean the LSU vs Bama game alternates each year (i know not the same history) and normally the kids that have one on the “Official Visit” list has the other. They go to the one game and check out BOTH teams.
Same thing applies here.
Except it isn’t the same because no recruits can officially visit the WLOCP.
Kirby Smart has a clear recruiting advantage over Florida NOW because the Gators have had 4 coaches since 2010 (Meyer, Muschamp, McElwain now Mullen … what is it with the letter M?). But let the Gators string together a couple of 10-11-12 win seasons and big bowl victories. Mullen already has the #6 recruiting class. If the Gators maintain or build on that, they’ll have no problem adding six or seven more 4 stars to the 9 that they have already. Georgia and Alabama can only sign so many, and it isn’t like anyone is going to choose Tennessee, South Carolina, Miami or FSU over a Gators team that goes 10-3 or 11-2 this year.
Just from the outside looking in IMHO, the game in JAX seems to give it more than ‘just another SEC east game’ feel. It seems like an ‘event’ that can attract more than just each team’s fans.
My only problem with this game is that it gives both teams an advantage in that they never have to play a true road game against their biggest rival in the division (regardless of the outcome). That’s an advantage accorded no other team or pairing in the SEC. Even the Iron Bowl moved out of “neutral” Legion Field. College football should be played on campus. Just my 2 cents.
Totally agree the fact that FL avoids playing between the hedges and GA avoids the swamp kinda makes for a unfair advantage for “the 2 powerhouses of the East” while the rest of us have to visit those two very hostile environments every other year