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Officially, they no longer call the Florida-Georgia rivalry (or is it Georgia-Florida?) the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
This year’s rivalry installment has been besmirched with an abomination of a nickname that we won’t bother to dignify with mention in this space.
No. 3 Georgia will play No. 20 Florida on Saturday in a game that’s shifted to Atlanta this season, while renovations occur at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, the game’s traditional location.
The corporate sponsors can call it what they like, but in our hearts, this game remains the “Cocktail Party.”
Why flick a great nickname into the dustbin?
This got us wondering: Is the “Cocktail Party” the best nickname for a college football rivalry?
On this edition of “College Football Unfiltered,” a USA TODAY Sports podcast presented by Sports Seriously, host Blake Toppmeyer and his colleagues Paul Myerberg and John Brice debate college football rivalry nicknames and preview the Week 9 lineup of games.
Also, Memphis athletic director Ed Scott joins for an interview to discuss the Tigers’ aspirations of joining a Power Four conference. If Memphis had its choice, would it prefer the ACC or Big 12? He weighs in on that.
As for rivalry nicknames …
This nickname reflects the tailgating environment that surrounds the stadium when the Florida-Georgia rivalry is played in Jacksonville. The nickname spawned as many do: A sportswriter came up with it, decades ago. It caught on. Colloquially, it’s still the nickname, even if the SEC and the schools pivoted away from the nickname two decades ago.
Many of the best rivalries feature an element of hatred. This one inserts the hate right into the rivalry’s nickname. The two campuses are separated by 70 miles, and the game is a Thanksgiving weekend fixture.
This is another nickname that’s no longer embraced by the schools, but anyone who remembers Peyton Manning hoisting the beer barrel over his head remembers that an iconic trophy used to be part of this game’s tradition. The wooden barrel, which is painted orange and blue, is no longer awarded to the game’s winner. It’s displayed at the Founders Suites at Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium. The game’s old name is kept alive by fans and some media members.
The best rivalry nicknames speak to the soul of the series. This one achieves that. Two-word rivalry nicknames just sort of roll off the tongue, too. If the nickname doesn’t grab your attention, the views will. Name a rivalry with better stadium backdrops on each side of the rivalry than BYU-Utah.
Be sure to check out USA TODAY Sports' "College Football Unfiltered" podcast, hosted by columnist Blake Toppmeyer. You can stream episodes on YouTube or download via Apple podcasts, or iHeart. Cohosts Matt Hayes, Paul Myerberg and John Brice cover college football for USA TODAY Sports.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cocktail Party is great. But is it college football’s best rivalry nickname?