Preferred Party Host

ATLANTA — Ron and Mary Jo Prescott have attended every Florida-Georgia game since 1996. Or, Georgia-Florida, depending on who you ask.

From watching Lindsay Scott scamper 92 yards to put Georgia ahead in the 1980 rendition of the rivalry to fighting off the treacherous Jacksonville weather year after year, the Prescotts never miss a beat when it comes to their beloved Georgia Bulldogs.

But instead of taking their seats at EverBank Stadium this year, as they’ve done for the better part of the last half decade, the two 76-year-old retired school teachers sat beside one another on a stoop outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium hours ahead of kickoff.

Saturday marked the first Florida-Georgia game outside of Jacksonville since the back-to-back matchups in Gainesville and then Athens in 1994 and 1995. While the usual host, EverBank Stadium, undergoes renovations, the rivalry took to Atlanta for 2026, then Tampa next season. Other than a handful of contests flip-flopping between Athens, Tampa, Savannah and Gainesville back in ye olden days, every meeting has occurred in Jacksonville — about 75 miles from the University of Florida and 350 from Georgia.

The usual scene of ‘The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party’ boasts countless beer cans scattering the asphalt, tents dotting the grounds and the more-often-than-not rain showers prior to the bout. This time, the scene was … different. Red and black dominated the primarily Georgia crowd and ceremonial barks echoed the 100-level concourse of Atlanta’s sporting coliseum. The unofficial alcohol-themed nickname also hit the road for a corporate rebrand. This year’s game, the Invesco QQQ Atlanta Gridiron Classic, hosted a total of 72,541 to watch the No. 3 Bulldogs dominate No. 17 Florida, 27-8.

Among those thousands, the word “tradition” was parroted from one to the next ahead of the win, regardless of fandom. Although for many fans, Atlanta felt different from the Jacksonville experience they had come to expect.

In an informal Grandstand survey of 400 fans outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including 214 Florida fans and 186 Georgia fans, the majority of fans overall are in favor of remaining in Jacksonville. Roughly 55% said they wanted to return to Duval County, while 23.5% wish for a home-and-home switch between Athens and Gainesville. The remaining 21.3% voted for a rotation of the game being in various cities, including Jacksonville, Atlanta and Tampa.

With Atlanta's turn as host complete, the rivalry will hit the road once more. Next season, it's back in the Sunshine State. The Gators and Bulldogs will face off in Tampa at Raymond James Stadium next year before Jacksonville resumes its place as the rivalry's home, at least through the current contract’s completion in 2031. 

But should it? Why was it held in Atlanta, anyway? 

Simply put, money.

Both the University of Florida and University of Georgia received a hefty $7.5 million via Arthur Blank’s AMB Sports and Entertainment. The two schools also took in an additional $1.5 million from the City of Jacksonville as part of the temporary relocation agreement while EverBank Stadium undergoes its massive renovations, bringing the grand total to $9 million for playing in the ATL. Blank, the owner of the Atlanta Falcons and founder of The Home Depot, added another signature event by welcoming the game. AMBSE pays schools to play at Mercedes-Benz, including neighboring Georgia Tech on occasion. The Yellow Jackets made $10 million last season by moving its game against UGA to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, just 1.6 miles from Tech's campus.

The game will then return to Jacksonville in 2028 after Florida and Georgia agreed to a new four-year deal in 2024. The schools will each receive a minimum guarantee of $10 million in '28 and '29, a figure that rises to $10.5 million in the following two seasons.

This year’s contest – on Halloween, no less — brought forth debates about what's best for the game’s future. For those Florida and Georgia faithful, money isn’t exactly at the forefront of opinion. Opinions varied, but Jacksonville remained the most popular option among those surveyed. Of the 214 Florida supporters included in Grandstand’s poll, 61.2% said Jacksonville is the way to go. Among UGA backers, 48.4% agreed, though many others supported a rotation that still included Jacksonville.

When the Florida-Georgia game calls Jacksonville home, there’s typically a 50-50 split among the crowd. To promote the rivalry’s iconic half-red-and-black, half-orange-and-blue stands, the two schools cap the number of tickets available to season-ticket holders. That iconic divide wasn’t exactly carried out in Atlanta, though.

Since Mercedes-Benz sits just about an hour and a half west of Georgia’s campus, the Bulldogs dominated the crowd. “Light Up Sanford” — Georgia’s phone flashlight tradition at the conclusion of the third quarter — was mimicked and “The Mean Machine Chant” could be heard from every corner of the stadium. As Florida faced an early 24-0 deficit in the opening half, there was no Tom Petty singalong. 

Outside of the stadium’s location, there are plenty of factors that make Jacksonville unique. For one, Mercedes-Benz is an enclosed dome with a roof of eight petals. EverBank Stadium, while welcoming the unpredictable weather, makes the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, well, outdoors.

The Prescott couple was in attendance for former Georgia coach Ray Goff’s 1989-95 tenure. Starting in 1990, Florida rattled off six consecutive wins. Unfortunately, for Ron and Mary Jo, the losses weren’t the worst part of the span.

“We were down there and it had flooded, and we were soaked to the bone,” Ron said. “We had raincoats on and we were still soaked. Just soaked.”

Ron, a retired science teacher at Jackson Comprehensive High School in Jackson County, and Mary Jo each graduated from UGA and said they missed the atmosphere of Jacksonville, despite living just outside of Athens.

The two, like many Bulldogs, stay in St. Simons when the game is at EverBank. The island sits on the coast of Georgia, about 75 miles north of Jacksonville. Other than the game, the Prescotts indulge in a calm weekend away, making sure to hit a pair of restaurants on their way down.

“We like to be on the beach and then we come down there to Jacksonville. We always have to stop and eat at St. Mary’s Seafood and then Trent’s in Jacksonville,” Mary Jo said. “It’s just an atmosphere that you just love. It’s just camaraderie.”

“It stands out, it’s not just a regular home game,” a 20-something UF student said alongside his four friends, all dressed in alligator onesies.

That's part of what makes Florida-Georgia different. When the rivalry sets up shop in Jacksonville, as it has done 93 times, it’s at a neutral site. The stadium isn’t adorned in orange and blue or red and black. Instead, EverBank Stadium markets both teams, turning the venue into a visual divide between Gators and Bulldogs fans.

The game remains one of college football's signature traditions. It is also one of the sport's few annual neutral-site rivalries, a shrinking list that includes Texas-Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas and Army-Navy. For many fans, Jacksonville is as much a part of the tradition as the game itself. That tradition comes with a tradeoff, though. The bitter SEC rivals rarely get to experience the atmosphere of a fall Saturday in Athens or Gainesville.

Kaleigh Mathis, a Georgia alumnus in her 30s, was one of just 10 younger Dawg fans who were in favor of the home-and-home campus rotation.

“You love Jacksonville because it’s the takeover,” Mathis said. “Everyone’s there for the same reason. It’s hot, it’s wild, it’s the World’s Largest Cocktail Party, but you also want the home and away experience.”

For those who weren’t lucky enough to travel to Athens or Gainesville in the '90s, playing on campus remains a dreamy wonder. Yes, anyone can pack their bags and make a trip. Neither Jon Sumrall nor Kirby Smart will be touching down on the opposing home sideline … for the time being.

For this game, though, many of the fans surveyed want more than just the traditional tailgate next to The Swamp or in Myers Quad. The appeal of Florida-Georgia extends beyond the game itself.

Jacksonville has hosted nearly 100 Florida-Georgia contests, with the pregame festivities surrounding the game taking on a life of their own. For those in college, or having recently graduated, the tailgating scene is at the heart of why they want the rivalry to remain there.

Moreover, many of those who roamed the streets of Atlanta on Halloween weekend missed the coastal activities of the past. UGA students take to ‘Frat Beach’ on St. Simons Island ahead of the game. Bulldogs sport Halloween costumes, blast music and, more importantly to some, imbibe.

For the older folks who would feel looked down upon if they entered Frat Beach, tailgating is still the No. 1 priority. Scott Smith, 54, has spent 20 of the past 25 Florida-Georgia weekends on a boat in Jacksonville repping his UGA gear.

“I’m sticking to the old, ‘the World’s Largest Cocktail Party’ moniker whether they like it or not because that’s what it is. It’s a good time,” Smith said. “Our whole family gets together for the whole week. We typically go boat-gating — spend a few days on a boat prior to the game. It’s just a good time for everybody to get together.”

Luckily enough for those who prioritized tailgating at past Florida-Georgia games, Mercedes-Benz priced its alcohol at a wildly reasonable rate. A $6 premium draft beer would be tough to find at EverBank.

“I’m too drunk to have memories from Jacksonville, usually,” Smith said. “It’s normally just having family get-togethers on the boat, everybody there, all our friends in town. So it’s more that it’s kind of repetitive in a good way. It’s a reunion of family and friends for everybody.”

When a game has been played in the same spot for the better part of the last century, replicating the traditions surrounding it isn't easy. Whether it’s EverBank, Frat Beach or the tailgating scene, every aspect of Florida-Georgia in Jacksonville has brought fans nostalgia. For many fans, the same certainly can’t be said about this year’s matchup in Atlanta.

While not in their usual seats on the red-and-black side of EverBank Stadium, the Prescotts still got to enjoy another Georgia victory, UGA's sixth in a row over Florida. But if you ask them, they’re counting down the days until their return to St. Simons and its seafood scene.

“It’s the food, it’s the atmosphere, it’s the tailgate parties, it’s the game itself, it’s all the hype up to the game,” Mary Jo said with a laugh. “And the Florida fans are very passionate about their team.”

The Prescotts are already planning to be in attendance for the 2028 'Georgia-Florida' game. But for Ron, the feeling runs deeper.

“To take that history away from both fan groups,” Ron said. “It’s like doing away with tradition.”