The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ga.- Fla. game
“Being in our 70s now, we’re just thinkingwe didn’t want to take the chance of getting around a lot of peoplewe really don’t knowand all that,” said Branyan, now a 70- year- old retiree living in Athens. “So, we decided let’s just stay on St. Simons and enjoy it and watch the game on TVand have a good time that way.”
Actually, that’s a decision thathundredsofGeorgia fans made this week as the Bulldogs and Gators renew their rivalry for the 99th time, No. 88 in the decidedly neutral northeast Florida city of Jacksonville.
Branyan has attended close to half of those games. Counted individually, he’s been to 39 of the games in the stadium that still resides next to the St. Johns River. He didn’t go to the two games that were played on the school’s respective campuses in 1994 and ’ 95 while the Gator Bowl was being razed and rebuilt into what it is today.
CounttheBranyansamong the majority of Georgia fans who like this game being played in Jacksonville.
“It’s just such a unique atmosphere,” Branyan said. “That’swhat I’m gonnamiss on Saturday. There aren’t hardly any of teams in the country that have anything like it, with all the carrying on, the RV park and all the craziness around the stadium.”
Thanks to the unrelenting coronavirus pandemic, there will be none of that this year. While Georgia and Florida are being allowed to keep their game in Jacksonville, they’ll be doing so with limitations:
1. The ticket allotments were reduced from 40,000 apiece to a little under 9,000 per school to allowfor social distancing in the stadium.
2. Once inside, spectators mustwear masks the entire time, except for when eating or drinking.
3. The famous RV park towhich Branyan refers has been shut down.
4. Likewise tailgating and all other gatherings and events had been banned outside the stadium and on the fairgrounds.
5. Alcohol has been banned from the beaches for the week.
“It should mirror the experiences in Athens and Gainesville, with parking lots opening three hours before the kickoff,” Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity said. “The one thing that has always surrounded this game has been the ability to congregate, withRVCity and all the tailgating, the Hall of Fame ceremony, the Friday night activities. Noneof that’s just not in play this year. The focus is on the game itself.”
There’s plenty of entertainment value in that alone. For the third year in a row, Georgia and Florida will be a top- 10matchup. The loser of the game between the fifth- ranked Bulldogs ( 4- 1) and the No. 8 Gators ( 3- 1) will be effectively eliminated from the SEC Eastern Division race, not to mention any chance at a College Football Playoff berth.
That’s why Robert Wolfe and his crew are planning to attend the game, as per usual. Wolfe, who has been going to Jacksonville every year since 1988, made that decision months ago.
“Well, it’s just what we do,” saidWolfe, a49- year- old UGAgraduatewhoresides in Charlotte. “It’s always been a tradition for me to go down with a group of friends, stay in St. Simons, goto the game. Backwhen the COVID thing started, me andmy friends just made the decision we were still going to go if we could. We know things are going tobedifferent this year, butwe still want to be there.”
There will be sacrifices. Wolfe and his wife, J. J., won’t be able to host their popular tailgate on stadium grounds, attended by 75 to 100 people every year. And there are no dinner- out plans on St. Simons or in Jacksonville. They’ve resolved that everything they eat is going to be either takeout or cook in.
But Wolfe said that’s a small price to pay.
“I mean, this is the path to the championship, the road
toAtlanta runs through Jacksonville,” Wolfe said. “That’s the reason I’m going this weekend, to see the Dogs beat the Gators.”
McGarity said UGA had about the same percentage of opt- outs as it did forgames at Sanford Stadium. That is, about 50%. But the Bulldogs were able to easily sell their entire allotment of tickets.
“Whatwe’re seeing is consistent withwhatwe’ve been seeing all year,” McGarity said. “You’ve got a segment of our fan base that wants to attend events and a segment that doesn’t have the desire.”
Count John andMary Branyan among the latter. But they didn’t want tomiss the cool drinks and warm sunshine that have turned this game into a fall vacation.
“It’s just such a tradition and was so enjoyable going down and just relaxing and having a good time,” Branyan said. “So we just said, ‘ Why stop? Why not just go down and watch the game from our condo?’”
Why not? It’s a plan being shared by many this year.