Now that we’re about half-way done with the bye week, we can get a head start with Florida Hate Week and begin discussion on the onslaught of topics and issues that arise with this historic rivalry. 

One of the biggest topics as of late has been the desire for home-and-home games from fans, and even Coach Kirby Smart.

Voicing his thoughts about the possibility of the Florida Gators at home in Athens, Coach Smart said:

“I firmly believe that we’ll be able to sign better players by having it as a home-and-home because we’ll have more opportunities to get them to Campus.”

But even though they sacrifice a major recruiting opportunity every year not being able to host prospects for this rivalry Coach Smart still looks forward to this game being played in Jacksonville, Florida for the “pageantry” and “tradition” that surrounds it. 

The game still means a lot to the players too. Senior linebacker Nolan Smith said, “It is exciting for me because it is a game I have watched all my life.”

Coach Smart explained that at the end of the day, it all comes down to money. The school seems to get more money if the Dawg’s play in Jacksonville, so that’s just the way it goes. Any changes made to the location of this game would alter almost one hundred years worth of tradition. The game has continuously been played in Florida since 1933.

In my eyes, given Georgia’s rise in prominence under Smart, what more could the Dawgs really gain from a home-and-home regarding recruiting? Since coming to UGA, Smart hasn’t seen a recruiting class not ranked in the top-3, so it’s fair to say he’s been doing his job in that area.

After taking a long hard look at it, a home-and-home with Florida would just save Georgia fans’ gas money every other year. With Georgia’s 2023 home schedule, it’d be nice to see the Gators come to Athens, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.