Chanel Munezero, a senior at UF, eagerly anticipates his annual road trip to Jacksonville for the UF-Georgia game, with or without tickets.
"It/s the time to not think about classes, go out and have fun. Of course you drink a lot; but it/s about having fun with a big group of people," Munezero said.
In July, The Florida Times-Union reported that UF President Bernie Machen, in a letter to the mayor of Jacksonville, called for reduction of the number of alcohol vendors and a prohibition of liquor shots.
Some students feel this defeats the point of traveling to Jacksonville for the game.
"It/s like going to a huge party and only having club soda," Munezero said.
The UF-Georgia game is a rivalry dating back to 1915.
In 1933, the game moved to Jacksonville, a middle ground for the Gators and Bull Dogs.
"No doubt it/s a big piece of history. People think about it as an institution," said Steve Orlando, a UF spokesman.
Some at the University of Georgia agree.
Thomas Jackson, Student Affairs spokesman at Georgia, has not missed a game since 1973.
"The Georgia-Florida game has a great tradition. It/s a great part of being a Georgia student and Georgia fan," he said.
However, the tradition encompasses more than the game itself, with nearly 100,000 fans, gathering at The Jacksonville Landing for pre-game tailgating and then again for a post-game party, earning the event the title of "The Largest Cocktail Party in the World."
In the past few years, both universities have insisted on ditching the title.
"We don/t use that, and we ask that people who are officially covering it don/t use it too. We would like to see that name disassociated with the event."
Times change, however, and presidents of both universities have struggled to reduce alcohol abuse.
Orlando feels that past tragedies require a change in the game.
"Sadly, a spate of student deaths that occurred in Jacksonville during Florida-Georgia game weekends during the past few years illustrate what can happen when alcohol is consumed irresponsibly," he said.
Jackson agrees with Orlando/s views of alcohol consumption.
"[Alcohol] plays too big of a role, as it generally does in college football. Abuse of alcohol is dangerous, and we wish it wasn/t so closely affiliated," Jackson said.
