FLORIDA-GEORGIA GAME

The Florida-Georgia game is one of the nation's oldest and fiercest football rivalries.  It is usually played at the end of October or beginning of November, depending on how the weekend falls. 

By the way, Georgia fans - known as Dawgs - refer to this event as the Georgia-Florida game.

The game in 2026 is on Saturday, Ocotber 31, at 3:30pm.

The rivalry began in 1915, and since 1933, this football game has been played in Jacksonville.  It is typically played at TIAA Bank Field - home of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL - on the banks of the St. Johns River.

This year the game will be in Atlanta at Mercedes Benz Stadium and the following year in Tampa.  Then the game will return to Jacksonville in 2028.

It is a signature Florida event that has all the aspects of a festival.

The Gator mascot is Albert, a ferocious alligator.  Georgia's mascot is an equally ferocious bulldog named UGA (pronounced UGGA).

Like many NFL stadiums in America, the name of this stadium has changed over the years. 

For eons the stadium was simply known as the Gator Bowl.  It was the city stadium where the annual Gator Bowl was played as well as the Florida-Georgia game.

Then it became AllTel and then Everbank,  and in 2018 it became known by the catchy name "TIAA Bank Field".  Commit it to your short term memory because, unlike Lambeau Field in Green Bay, it will probably be renamed again.

The Gator Bowl game, one of the leading Florida events each year, is still played here although there are rumors that this historic venue may be changed.

There is nothing I'd rather do on a fall weekend than go to the Florida-Georgia game.  

I've been going to it off and on for more than 60 years, and the pageantry and rivalry is beyond anything else I've ever seen in college football or any other Florida event.

In my opinion as an old-timer, the Florida-Georgia game even tops the Florida-Florida State rivalry.

The events leading up to the game have been known for years as the "world's largest outdoor cocktail party".

That designation has fallen out of favor with the officials, but there is still plenty of fun for drinkers and teetotalers alike.

Of all Florida events, tickets to the Florida-Georgia game can be very hard to get.  I've been lucky some years just going up there and buying a ticket from somebody at the last minute. 

I won't use the word scalper, because scalping is illegal at Florida events and many other places.

It's best to be in political office in Florida or Georgia. Elected officials always seem to be able to get tickets.

If you can't get a ticket, just drive up to Jax and soak up the fun at a local sports bar. You will soon get into the spirit of the rivalry and make it one of your favorite Florida events.

If you don't want to drive all the way up to Atlanta for this year's game, a good place to watch it is in Gainesville at Spurrier's Gridiron Grille.

When Steve Spurrier was the Florida coach, the Gators won 11 out of 12 games.  It was never better before or since.

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