JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Thousands are planning to take over Jacksonville Sports Complex for one of the city’s premier sporting events Saturday: the annual Florida-Georgia game.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and other agencies plan each year to stay on high alert for the crowds it draws.
“We plan for this year-round. I mean, essentially six months out, we’re steady at it,” Christian Hancock with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office explained. “A lot of preparation, not just with us, [but] Jacksonville Fire & Rescue, with the stadium staff, the city. I mean there’s a lot moving parts in this to make this go well.”
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Hancock said on Friday that people drinking responsibly amid the partying is one of the agency’s chief concerns.
“Alcohol is always a major concern for us. The more alcohol that spills, the more issues that we tend to have,” Hancock explained. “So we’re gonna ask people to be adults, have fun, enjoy the adult beverages all you want. But make sure you take water with those as well. Stay hydrated, and just have a very good time.”
“You gotta stay hydrated. Water. Drink a water, drink a beer, drink water, stay away from the brown liquor, and you’ll make it through the day,” suggested Richard Dean, the honorary mayor of RV City.
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However, Hancock did also say the biggest task at hand for JSO and other agencies is always managing the extreme traffic the primetime event draws. With ongoing stadium construction adding to the delays, Hancock’s biggest piece of advice: arrive early.
“We’re gonna have officers stationed at every corner, pushing [drivers] to where those empty spaces are. So you might wanna go right, we might push you left, but we know that. There’s parking spaces to the left. So help us out with that, obviously,” Hancock explained. “But the earlier you get here, the easier it’s gonna be to maneuver this area.”
Parking lots open at 8 a.m., but the city recommends fans park no later than 10:30 a.m.
Stadium gates open at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, two hours before kickoff at 3:30 p.m.
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