Georgia and Florida Allowed to Host Recruits At Annual Matchup

Since taking the head coaching job in Athens, Kirby Smart has had one consistent take and opinion on the game between Georgia and Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, it shouldn't be played in Jacksonville. It should be played in Athens and Gainseville. Why? 

Because Always, Be, 'Cruiting. It's always about recruiting for Georgia and for Kirby Smart, and without a home game, you weren't allowed to host recruits. 

Well, that's subject to change moving forward, sources have confirmed. As was allowed for Georgia's neutral site game a year ago against Clemson in Charlotte, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida will now be able to host recruits for the annual matchup. Though the definition of “host” here merely implies they are allowed to provide tickets, nothing more.

Dating back to 1933, the city of Jacksonville, Florida, has hosted the rivalry game; on all but two occasions, the game has not been held in Jacksonville. In 1994 and 1995, games were held in a home-and-home format before being moved back to Jacksonville in 1996.

Coming off his speech at the podium in Atlanta, Ga., as part of the SEC Media Days, Smart was a part of the SEC Now coverage of the event, where he sparred with former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow about the location of the game.

So why does Smart want to break tradition and move the rivalry game? "I'm competing against guys all across the SEC who host kids at their biggest game," Smart said on the SEC Network.

"When Auburn plays Alabama, guess where the recruits are. They're at Auburn. When LSU and Alabama play, guess where the biggest recruits want to go. It's an opportunity for us to bring these kids who fly in from all over the country. What game do they want to see? They'd like to see Georgia play Florida, but they can't do that."

Smart's take on moving to a home-and-home series like they carried out briefly in '94 and '95 all dates back to feeling like both programs are at a disadvantage due to the neutral status of the game. The Georgia head coach, who's not only coached in the rivalry but also played in the game in his own right at Georgia, doesn't look at the neutral site game as a historical tradition; rather, he sees the game as a loss of a home game.

“It’s very important. Recruiting is very important. … I just can’t get a Florida coach to agree with me,”

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