Me & You: Georgia Football Debuts One-of-a-Kind Uniform & Swag for Florida Game in Atlanta Powered by OutKast

ATHENS - Georgia football is doing a special collaboration this weekend in Atlanta for the program’s annual rivalry game with the Florida Gators.

What is being described as a “limited-edition apparel and on-field collection from Nike”, the Dawgs will have limited-edition items worn on the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Bulldogs have had a long-standing relationship with the shoe maker. In fact, Georgia is one of the first teams to ever have a relationship with a major shoe brand. Before that time schools would simply gather from various athletic equipment makers.

Georgia’s deal with Nike officially began in the 1994 football season - with its logo appearing on uniforms for the school ever since. Nike is the only brand Georgia has ever had a apparel deal with.

Around the same time Outkast, a Southern Hip Hop Phenomenon, began is ascent to the top of the charts - forcing its way onto a musical scene that had been dominated by New York and Los Angeles.

Perhaps no better moment foreshadowed Outkast’s future than when the duo’s eclectic André 3000 stepped to the mic on stage in Madison Square Garden to tell the crowd at the 1995 Source Awards that something was about to change.

“Its like this: I’m tired of close-minded folks,” André 3000 said. “The South’s got something to say.”

Indeed it did. In music as well as on the football field. From that moment forward the South took over college football. From 1996 until today teams from SEC states have won 22 of 30 national titles - including two from the Dawgs.

Outkast’s crown logo will has been incorporated with Georgia’s “G”. The No. 96 will be on each jersey to represent the year 1996 when Outkast released its legendary album ATLiens. It was also the second season Georgia coach Kirby Smart played in Between the Hedges.

“This started over lunch with André,” says Brian Francis of Class Trip said in a statement released by Nike. “He was telling stories about driving up to Athens to watch the Dawgs. Then we saw Georgia-Florida was headed to Atlanta for the first time ever. Georgia’s football and its music, together in the city that made Outkast. They put Atlanta on the map. This is our thank you.”

Nike said it was making eye-shield decals and skullcaps that have the lyrics “So Fresh” and “So Clean” on them. Unique wristbands, mouthguards and three different styles of gloves will be used by the Dawgs on Saturday.

Nike signed six UGA football players to NIL deals this year. Ellis Robinson IV, KJ Bolden, Chris Cole, Kaiden Prothro, Elyiss Williams and Talyn Taylor signed with the shoe company and recreated “familiar frames from Outkast’s photo history” during photoshoots over the summer.

Nike said this collection will be available online and at select retail locations starting Wednesday, October 28. There will also be a game-day pop-up at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

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