30 bucket list items college football fans need to experience

6. The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party

In some cases, holding a big-time college football game at a neutral site can put a damper on the atmosphere. Nine times out of 10, an on-campus game is preferable. However, there are a few exceptions, and one is the game formerly known as The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, the rivalry game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators hosted annually in Jacksonville.

Like the other great neutral rivalry games (and two follow on our list), the crowd at EverBank Field could be split evenly down the middle, one half in red and black and the other in blue and orange. Even better, all 67,246 seats are filled, and there’s a party going on non-stop from the Jacksonville Landing to St. Simon’s Island.

The series is an interesting one for many reasons. One is the disagreement surrounding how many games the two teams have actually played. According to the Bulldogs, the first meeting occurred in Macon, Georgia in 1904 – a 52-0 Georgia victory. Florida insists the game didn’t count because the University of Florida had yet to be formerly established by the state’s legislature. Therefore, the Gators insist the first meeting was a 37-0 Georgia win in Jacksonville.

Regardless of when the series actually started, the Gators didn’t win a game until 1928, and Georgia got off to a huge series lead. The Bulldogs won 24 (or 23) of the first 30 (or 29) meetings through 1951. Since, Florida has had the edge overall, posting a 38-26-1 edge, including a 21-6 record since 1990. It’s been a streaky series. From 1964-89, Georgia was 17-5-1 against the Gators.