The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
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| Georgia | Florida |
|---|---|
| (45) | (37) |
| 1915 1916 1919 1920 1926 1927 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1938 1939 1941 1942 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1950 1951 1954 1959 1964 1966 1968 1971 1972 1974 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1985 1987 1988 1989 1997 2004 |
1928 1929 1937 1940 1949 1952 1953 1955 1956 1957 1958 1960 1961 1962 1963 1965 1967 1970 1973 1977 1984 1986 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 |
| Ties (2) | |
| 1930 1969 | |
"The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" is a common name for the annual college football game between the University of Florida Gators and the University of Georgia Bulldogs, one of the great rivalries in college football; it is officially known as the "Georgia-Florida/Florida-Georgia Game" (switching every year). Currently, the game is held at ALLTEL Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, usually on the last Saturday in October. The designated "home" team alternates from year to year, with ticket distribution split evenly between the two schools. In past years, fans from Florida and Georgia were assigned seats grouped in alternating sections of the stadium, and the contrasting colors worn by the fans created a "beach ball" visual effect in the stands. Recently the seating arrangement has split the stadium lengthwise and fans sit on the side corresponding to the sideline their team occupies.
The game was first held in Jacksonville in 1912 in the teams' second meeting (won by Georgia 39-0). The game has been held in Jacksonville every year since 1933, except for the 1994 game while Alltel Stadium was built on the site of the Gator Bowl Stadium, and the 1995 game, where in an interesting side note to that battle, Florida head coach Steve Spurrier tacked on an extra touchdown at the end of the game to set a new opponents' scoring record in Sanford Stadium, the home field of the Bulldogs.
While Jacksonville is technically a neutral site, it is located only 73 miles from Gainesville, home of the Gators; Athens, Georgia, on the other hand, is 342 miles to the north. The crowd in the stadium is always split 50-50 between the two schools' fans. The majority of the tailgating takes place on riverfront plaza called "The Jacksonville Landing", facing the St. Johns River. The Landing is packed with thousands of drunk revelers each year, making it a great but crowded nightspot.
Following the 2006 season, Georgia held a 46-37-2 advantage in the all-time series. However, Florida has gone 15-2 in the game since 1990 (Georgia winning in 1997 and 2004) to follow a similar 15-5 domination by Georgia through the 70's and 80's. There is a slight disagreement with regards the overall series record. University of Florida records indicate the series record with Georgia stands at 45-37-2 in UGA’s favor. Georgia’s records indicate a 46-37-2 lead, which includes a 52-0 Bulldog win in a game played in Macon, Ga., in 1904. However, Florida did not field an official team until 1906.
Due to sensitivity about consumption of alcohol by college students, the match is officially known as the Georgia-Florida/Florida-Georgia game (depending on which team is the home team in a given year). Additionally, in May 2006, the Southeastern Conference asked the three networks which broadcast SEC football games not to refer to the game by the moniker "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party," as it conveys a message regarding consumption of alcohol that the schools do not desire. Despite these efforts, 3 people have died in UF/UGA related partying downtown since the 2004 game.
[edit] University of Georgia fall break controversy
In 2000, the University of Georgia changed their fall break to coincide with the date of the game. Reportedly, this was intended to reduce absences and alarming traffic fatality trends related to students traveling to Jacksonville for the game, a 342 mile trip which would, without the break, need to be made in one night. There have been two subsequent attempts, in 2003 and 2004, to change fall break to a different weekend. Both were withdrawn after overwhelming complaints from the student body.
In 2005, UGA provost Arnett Mace, upset over the widespread cancelling of classes on the Wednesday prior to the Thursday-Friday break, asked all deans and department heads to report to him on how many classes had been cancelled in violation of University policy. While it has led to ridicule by some, such as one dean's comparing Mace to Dean Wormer from Animal House, the move will likely lead to a renewed examination of the future of fall break. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) Recently, a proposed compromise between UGA Student Government members and faculty in the University Council would shorten fall break to just the Friday before the game off, but increase Thanksgiving break from three days to an entire week. The measure, while widely seen as likely to pass, has not yet come to a vote at University Council. (Student Government Report - UGA)
