Readers here know I have a rule: when someone says it’s not about the money, it’s about the money.
So don’t kid yourselves, folks, over the maneuvering about the renewal of the deal with Jacksonville for the Georgia-Florida game.
“Going down there was not about the money,” (University of Georgia executive athletic director Frank) Crumley said. “It’s about the tradition of the game without a doubt. These are things they did just to show both schools they wanted both schools there.”
Sure. It’s all about the love, man.
Here’s how Jax expressed its civic appreciation for those two fine academic institutions:
• The City of Jacksonville will pay for travel for the Georgia football team to fly out of Athens into St. Augustine, Fla. — where the team hotel is located — and fly back from Jacksonville to Athens after the game. That’s worth more than $100,000 per year. Florida is currently picking up half of Georgia’s travel cost.
• Each school will get an additional $50,000 to offset expenses including hotel costs and meals.
• The schools will be allotted an additional 500 parking spaces at lots around Jacksonville Municipal Stadium to give each 1,500 to distribute.
• Control of the marketing assets to the game go to the two schools instead of being split three ways with the city of Jacksonville. Georgia received about $80,000 last year from marketing of the game last year.
Do the math. Georgia makes more money playing the neutral site game than it does playing home and home.
… Georgia nets about $1.6 million annually for the Florida game, which has been played in Jacksonville since 1933 with the exception of 1995 and 1996 when it moved to the campuses when the stadium was being renovated. A home game in Athens is worth about $2.8 million for Georgia, but the Bulldogs rotate home and away with their SEC opponents.
I can’t wait to see what they squeeze out six years from now.
Get The Picture 
With the Flying Lizards, it’s about the money too…
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Like Tom Cruise said in that ridiculous movie,Show me the…….oh never mind.
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we better hope they keep the pro franchise which is hurting
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With UGA AA it’s ALWAYS about the money. What other school have to pay to watch their baseball team on the internet? Nobody.
They probably “make” more than that because they don’t have to clean up the facilities…..or north campus after this game. Jax takes care of that.
I’m glad we are able to fly out of Athens now, though. The travel is not as big a deal now. It probably made an 8 hour ordeal into a 2 hour flight.
Now that the schools have control of the game marketing, I wonder what amount of cheese will be put into a new name? Rivalry by the River…brought to you buy Wrangler Jean Shorts and by Zaxby’s. Wear ’em high and eat it fried!
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Maybe Rictht’s comments this summer were all part of the masterplan…. to get more money for UGA.
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I am happy to see the game in JAX is a good financial decision for UGA, but even if it were revenue neutral this game should not be changed. There are few “unique” traditions in CFB recognizable to fans throughout the nation, this is one of them. Although there have been hot streaks in the Red River Shootout (not PC), I have never heard fans whine about moving that game. The WLOCP should be viewed the same way. Let’s man up and put this argument to bed!
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Dallas is almost exactly halfway between Austin and Norman. Jax, not so much. There are a TON of OU alumni in Dallas. Jax, not so much.
I’m not of the mindset that something can be both the best thing for GA and the best thing for FL. Someone benefits more. And the fact that FL people are THRILLED to keep the game in Jax SHOULD speak volumes. Unfortunately, to a large portion of our fans, a fall beach getaway, drinking, and golf are much more important than the game. But hey, Dooley won there in the 80’s!!!!
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How are those activities more important, or even relevant to that game? You can’t imagine doing all that in one week? The location has ZERO impact on the game. The tickets are 50/50/, the field is the same size, the officials would be the same, and the game lasts 60 minutes with the same eligibility requirements for players, so how is that not equal?
You do realize Florida fans whined to Spurrier that he had to move the game because UGA had the edge when he first came to Florida? Make any sense to you that the field/location may be inconsequential to all this?
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Of course UF pays for half of UGA’s travel expenses. It’s a fonking home game for them every damn year and they’re laughing at us because of it.
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No, HB, they’re laughing at us every year because they are winning the game.
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