Welcome back, old friend.
If you can’t get a home-and-home out of it (and I understand the somewhat daunting logistics), it’s certainly better than not playing at all.
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UPDATE: As far as the home-and-home logistics go, Seth says ($$) the two schools are still talking about scheduling that.
Get The Picture 
42-18-4
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6-1 since 1991.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clemson%E2%80%93Georgia_football_rivalry
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So that’s an opener in Atlanta for 2020, 2022, and 2024? That’s going to be expensive but I understand why Kirby wants to keep Bama, Auburn and others from getting free promotion in front of Georgia blue chippers.
This is the kind of big match-up I love but I would strongly prefer CU vs UGA be home and home. A neutral site is certainly better than no game with CU and beats out Austin Peay style home games so I won’t complain too much.
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Between these openers and JAX every year, home games continue to shrink.
Oh, well. SSI golf in October, though!
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And a shorter drive for South Georgia Dawgs.
Look at it as their home game.
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The chatter about moving these games (season openers/WLOCP) to Sanford/home and home would probably die down if they were included in the home slate of tickets instead of only being available to super-contributors during the years that they take the place of a home game or years when UGA is the home team in JAX. For the record, I am not in favor of moving the WLOCP.
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Truth
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The problem is that the schools only receive an allotment of tickets similar (although larger) to a true road game. I assume this game will not have a true 50/50 split like the Cocktail Party. At 75,000 for a special event, I would likely assume that each school will probably only get an allotment of 30,000 at most because suite holders and other Atlanta people will be getting priority access to some subset of the tickets available. Therefore, there is no way to include these tickets in a season ticket package where all season ticket holder can purchase.
The AA considers that to be a feature rather than a bug in setting up these games. If the AA could have figured out a way to move the ND game to Atlanta next year and charge 2x/3x of the $75 ticket without completely alienating the season ticket base, I guarantee you we would be playing the Irish in Atlanta instead of Athens
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The Cocktail Party is the home game for Coastal/Southeast Dawgs … FIFY.
For most folks in Southwest Georgia, Jacksonville is just as far and, in many cases, farther than the trip to Athens.
Bainbridge – Jax 3:05 Athens 4:30
Thomasville – Jax 2:30 Athens 4:20
Valdosta – Jax 1:50 Athens 4:00
Tifton – Jax 2:45 Athens 3:20
Albany – Jax 3:10 Athens 3:30
Cordele – Jax 3:00 Athens 2:50
Americus – Jax 3:30 Athens 3:10
Columbus Jax 4:30 Athens 3:15
Never move the Cocktail Party, but let’s be honest about it. For most of the state, it’s just as difficult (if not, more so) to get to Jacksonville as it is to Athens.
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It’s certainly difficult enough to get from Athens to Jacksonville.
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Here’s the data based on a quick analysis using Google maps drive times:
https://twitter.com/eethomaswfnc/status/1035621336595476481
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Who the hell wants to go to Jacksonville instead on Athens anyway. I’m in Tifton Fwtw.
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@UCLA to open in 2025.
Spent 3 years looking forward to the 83 opener @UCLA, and they bailed on us, so I’m pacing myself. If I’m still here, I’m going!
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I agree with you. And when the UCLA game in Sanford rolled around, my best friend got married that weekend and made me his best man. Man, was I conflicted.
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If he REALLY wanted you at his wedding, he wouldn’t have gotten married on a game day in Athens.
My sister got married the day of the season opener v. South Carolina, the day Robert Edward’s scored about 10 touchdowns. My mom threatened to maim me if I so much as raised an eyebrow about the date. Sometimes, you just have to say what the hell.
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Love the matchup and, as a season ticket holder, hate the venue. It also screws the students who pay the athletic fee.
Sorry, but regular season college football with three exceptions (the WLOCP, the Red River Shootout, and Army-Navy) should be on campus.
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And it screws the Athens businesses that depend on those 6-7 weekends per year.
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If your business depends on those 6 days a year to survive, you probably aren’t going to make it. The university drives plenty of business to Athens all year.
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I get it, but those 6-7 weeks per year for a retailer downtown or for restaurant make a good year a potentially great year.
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Between Greek parent weekends, conferences, visiting prospective students, business travel and other sporting events It is amazing how many people travel to and stay in Athens whenever school is in session. Even during the Summer there is an amazing number of people traveling to Athens when classes are going on. I’m sure game weekends are appreciated but Athens has become a year round destination. Add in the students who never go home during the year and Athens is a pretty good place to own a business.
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I understand all of that as someone who travels to Athens quite frequently on business (both day & overnight trips). I guarantee you the people who own a lot of the places downtown depend on the increased traffic for home game weekends (not just on Saturday). There’s a reason so many people in Athens want to the Cocktail Party to go to campus.
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Not as good as a home home but I’ll take it.
Which number is higher?
National championships combined between both of these teams between now and 2024
OR
Years Dabo will have been at Bama by then…
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Dabo at Bama would (hopefully) be a win-win for Georgia. Crushing post-Saban expectations, and a weakened Clemmins recruiting powerhouse. I hope it happens.
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I certainly agree with the angle of this venue being better than nothing and protecting our home turf from interlopers…..but can’t help but feel like I’m in the twilight zone when we conduct a $60million renovation of an endzone and turn around and schedule games not in said stadium.
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As someone who will likely never purchase season tickets again, I prefer good matchups than the likes of Austin Pee, Middle of Tennessee State, Aaron Murray State, etc.
I don’t care where the game is played.
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Forget the rest of it. We’re playing Clemson, which should be one of the most natural rivalries in the nation.
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Kirby sees the value in this venue, y’all best learn to deal with it.
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Love it. Would rather play the big boys all the time.
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That is the true upside. Sometimes it is the only way to get a top quality, marquis game. But that doesn’t excuse a matchup like tomorrows. Schedule a Northwestern, UCF, Arizona, Cal, Boston College, UVA type D1 program and sprinkle in a big name every couple of years. One cupcake is enough per year. A neutral site is definitely an improvement over the norm.
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2021 & 2023 could be a home & home. If not 2027 is the earliest year to do it. They should play yearly in Athens & Clemson
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Alternate home and away series with tech and Clemson.
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Clemson sucks!
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