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Napier, Smart disagree on future of Florida-Georgia game

Untitled designby:Nick de la Torre•07/20/22•

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 28: The Florida-Georgia logo during the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida Gators on October 28, 2017 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

ATLANTA — The Florida-Georgia football game has been held in Jacksonville since 1933. Outside of two games in 1994 and 1995, every time the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs have met on the football field it’s been in Jacksonville.

There’s history. There’s tradition. It’s one of the games that makes college football special.

Kirby Smart isn’t too keen on keeping it that way. The Georgia head coach didn’t beat around the bush on Wednesday at SEC Media Days. Tradition be damned, Smart thinks having the game at a neutral site is a disadvantage for both schools.

“I’m competing all across the SEC, who host recruits at their biggest game,” Smart said on SEC Now. “When Auburn plays Alabama, guess where the recruits are? When LSU and Alabama play, that’s where the biggest recruits want to go. It’s an opportunity for us to bring these kids, who fly in from all over the country — what game do they want to come see Georgia play? They’d like to see Georgia play Florida, but they can’t do that. It’s very important. Recruiting is very important. I just can’t get a Florida coach to agree with me about (moving the game out of Jacksonville).”

The city of Jacksonville has invested a lot of time, money and resources into keeping the game there. It is a true mecca for college football fans. A sea of red and black vs. orange and blue with tailgating for hours, even days, leading up to the game. The stadium is split in half, right down the middle. The pageantry of the whole weekend is college football.

“I want to experience the game first. I’d like to see that game in Jacksonville and experience that game before I have an opinion on that,” Napier said when asked about changing the location of the game. “There’s a lot of credibility to both (arguments), a home-and-home would obviously be fantastic, but there’s also some tradition there, there’s a rivalry there, time will tell. I agree, that’s above my pay grade. But, I am looking forward to the opportunity to participate in the game.”

Florida and Georgia staying put

Smart makes a solid point. The Florida-Georgia game could be a massive recruiting weekend for both schools. Recruiting is the lifeblood of college football and both teams are missing out on a chance to win over recruits.

Does it make sense to move to a home-and-home? Or what about a four-year rotation of Jacksonville, Atlanta, Athens, and Gainesville? That could be fun. But at least for the foreseeable future, it’s just talk.

“Because of the outstanding atmosphere and tradition, along with the financial implications for both schools, I’d be surprised if the Florida-Georgia game isn’t in Jacksonville for the foreseeable future,” Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin told Gators Online on Wednesday.

The Florida-Georgia game is staying in Jacksonville, whether Smart likes it or not.

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