The cocktail party goes indoors, but Georgia-Florida fans bring a familiar rivalry to Atlanta

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 beat No. 17 Florida 27-8 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.”

Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who has pushed for campus sites in the past, has had somewhat of a change of heart in recent years. The paycheck both teams receive may have something to do with that, of course.

The city of Jacksonville has guaranteed both teams a $10 million dollar payout each year while hosting from 2028 through 2031.

“The venues are great, they’re pro venues, so the Jacksonville venue is incredible. Apparently, it’s going to be even better. Be one of the best in the world possibly with what they’re doing to it,” Smart said after Saturday's game. “But we all know the ramifications that come into that financially both ways. And if we’re going to pay these players, we got to make some money.”

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.”

But while reviews across the board were mainly positive, some were left feeling a little more eager than others when it came to returning 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.”

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