ATLANTA (AP) — The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party was hardly recognizable this year, but the passionate fan bases in one of college football's longest-standing rivalries delivered as usual while third-ranked Georgia and No. 17 Florida met at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
EverBank Stadium renovations forced the rivalry game to leave Jacksonville for the first time since 1995 and embrace a fresh look in Atlanta with a new name
that left longtime cocktail party-goers scratching their heads.
“The name is crazy stupid. Very corporate,” lifelong Gators fan Julie McQuitty said about the Invesco QQQ Atlanta Gridiron Classic. “The World’s Largest Indoor Cocktail Party was right there.”
But despite the title change, an enclosed stadium, and the longer commute for most Florida fans, complaints were few and far between at a tailgate that appeared an even split of red and blue, with a sprinkle of Halloween costumes here and there.
Atlanta isn't uncharted territory for Gators fans. Of Florida's 13 conference championship appearances, 11 were held at either the Georgia Dome or Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Florida's first time touching down at the Benz was the 2018 Peach Bowl, one year after the stadium opened.
“We’ve been to Atlanta a few times. Like we came in 2020 for the SEC championship, and it was fun. It's always a big debate, and I know money's always going to drive the ship," Gators fan Alex Jenkins said. "We know this is Dawg territory, but next year is in Tampa, right? We’re from Orlando, so it’s going to be dangerous.”
The new environment welcomed plenty of newcomers, whether it was Dallen Birch, who traveled roughly 1,600 miles from Salt Lake City, or Atlanta native Michael Barnes, who had been to plenty of Georgia games and a handful of Peach Bowls, but never the iconic cocktail party.
“Georgia-Florida, historic rivalry. Never been able to make it down to Jacksonville, so when they said it was here in Atlanta, it was like, we've got to pull up,” Barnes said. "Super excited about it, the atmosphere is crazy. All the fans are out here repping their teams, I absolutely love it.”
While the change of scenery brought a different experience for fans on both sides, some are a little more eager than others to return to the Sunshine State.
“It’s something different," McQuitty said. "I guess you got to teach an old dog new tricks — a Gator dog, that is.”
___
Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here
