JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With less than 24 hours before the annual Georgia-Florida football game, fans of both teams had officially made themselves at home in Jacksonville, particularly in RV City.
Georgia fan Sheila Ristow said she doesn't have to go far from her RV City parking space for anything.
“We do all of our cooking, cleaning, sleeping, right here. We cook outside, all of it,” Ristow said.
Die-hard Gators fan Joe Clark said he can get along with fans from both sides of the rivalry.
“We bring the RV down here, and we stay here the whole week, and we hang out and have a blast and enjoy everybody -- Georgia fans, Florida fans, it doesn't matter. Everyone's a friend,” Clark said.
In the annual Jacksonville showdown between the Bulldogs and the Gators, football is No. 1, but entertainment is a close second. Fans fire up their grills, drag out their coolers and turn RV City into a little metropolis.
They have recreation for the kids, nightlife, plenty of bars and even their own transportation system with golf carts decked out in team colors.
Dozens of Jacksonville police officers were out Friday, keeping everyone safe.
But for some, like 11-year-old Terry Allen, the excitement before the game is a little more symbolic.
“It's kind of weird because this will be my fifth year, and it's kind of a family tradition for us, so we kind of have a rival every year,” Terry said.
The die-hard Bulldogs fan used to come to the games with his father, until he passed away. Now, his uncle, a big-time Gators fan, has taken Terry under his wing.
The Bulldogs and Gators face off at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at EverBank Field.