JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Thousands of fans are gearing up for the annual rivalry game between the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs at EverBank Stadium happening Saturday.
All was calm at RV City on Friday morning, but that changed as the sun rose.
News4JAX spoke to one excited Florida Gators fan, Richard Dean, who said this is his 18th year at RV City. He’s the self-proclaimed mayor of RV City, a job he takes seriously.
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“I have a full itinerary I email everyone on this row and we start Monday night football at Robbie Coach with chicken wings,” Dean said. “Then, we roll in here Tuesday. Everybody helps everybody set up Tuesday and then everyone’s got a meal.”
We also spoke with a fan who said it’s his first year attending the event.
“This is something I’ve always wanted to and I finally made it here,” Ronnie Anderson, a Georgia fan, said.
In true tailgate fashion, people are grilling and have drinks ready. It’s also a place where you can find love, like Casey Harris, who found a husband here.
“I came up with a like a group of friends and we were all hanging out in lot X and he had an extra ticket and was like, ‘hey, do you want to go?’ and I was like, ‘I’m a broke college kid’ and he was like ‘don’t even worry about it’. The rest is history.”
Harris and her husband now have two children, one who might even have a future in football.
For Saturday, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office suggested getting to the stadium around 10:30 a.m., which is five hours before kickoff, because of how many people are expected to attend and traffic delays.
- Gameday parking lots open at 8 a.m. Saturday
- Stadium opens at 1:30 p.m., which is two hours before kickoff
- JTA shuttles start running at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The last bus leaves 90 minutes after the game ends
Other ways to get to the game include taking the River Taxi.
- The river taxi will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday
- Tickets are $20 roundtrip. Wristbands can be bought ahead of time on its website
- The stops are the DoubleTree Hotel and the Southbank Hotel on the Southbank; and at the Hyatt Hotel Dock on the Northbank.
- The river taxi loops every 30-40 minutes
Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.