Mullen: Positives, negatives on Florida-Georgia in Jax

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Will it stay or will it go? 

A popular discussion point during college football’s offseason has been the future of the Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville. Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said in late May at the SEC spring meetings that the future of the series in Jacksonville was up for discussion. 

Gators coach Dan Mullen said on Monday at SEC media days that the tradition of neutral site games is something special. On the flip side, there's a loss for both programs when a game of that magnitude leaves the campuses. Mullen stayed diplomatic and didn't say one way or another on where he stood about the game changing venues. 

“You can also see and make the argument the other way,” Mullen said. “How big a game it is, you’re taking one of your biggest rivalry games every year and you’re moving it off campus where you can’t host that in your home stadium for your fans, all your season ticket holders, for recruiting. 

“I think you can make arguments on both sides of why it should stay in Jacksonville, why it should leave Jacksonville and be a home and home. And It’s interesting. I think it’ll be an interesting discussion in the next couple years when the contract runs up of what the future’s going to be for that game.”

The schools agreed to extend the series in Jacksonville through 2021 and don't expect this question to stop being asked any time soon. 

SEC media days are going on the road

Commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday that the event would be on the road the next two years, going to Atlanta in 2020 and Nashville in 2021. 

SEC media days have been held in Birmingham all but one year since its first in 1985. The 2018 SEC media days were held in Atlanta. 

Mullen’s new shoes

Mullen has made it a tradition of his own to bring out trendy or fashionable shoes every year at SEC media days and he didn’t disappoint on Monday. 

Mullen debuted the Nike Air Jordan XI, in Gators colors, as SEC media days kicked off.