"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 Jacksonville Municipal 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 45-37-2 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 70s and 80s. 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.
