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Published Jul 15, 2019
SEC Media Day: Mullen, Zuniga see both sides of Florida-Georgia game future
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Zach Goodall  •  1standTenFlorida
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HOOVER, Ala. -- The debate rages on.

The future location of the annual Florida/Georgia game has been a discussion in recent months, and Dan Mullen didn't shy away from speaking on it at SEC Media Day on Monday.

The Gators head coach was asked again if he had any interest in turning the SEC East rivalry game into a campus game in both Gainesville and Athens in the future, or if he preferred the traditional, neutral site game at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL.

"You know what, I think you can make an argument either way," stated Mullen. "I think being in a neutral site, obviously it makes it a very special game, a very unique game that you get to go coach in. There's not many of those in college football if you look at those every year, traditional neutral site games. And I might be off on it.

"I know there's Florida/Georgia. There's Texas/Oklahoma. And there's Army/Navy. I don't know if there's any more than that. If I am, I don't want to offend a rivalry out there."

Jacksonville has been the host site to the Florida/Georgia game dating back to 1993, other than the 1994-1995 stretch when the current stadium was being built in Jacksonville.

However, while Mullen respects the legacy of uniqueness of the neutral site, he played Devil's Advocate to the advantage of the game potentially being played on campus in the future.

"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 of your season ticket holders for recruiting."

Obviously, having the biggest rivalry game the program annually endures on campus would provide extraordinary benefits. Revenue would climb from additional ticket sales and stadium purchases, recruits would experience a unique atmosphere with arguably the biggest rival Florida has - at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and so on.

Mullen went on to say that both sides of the argument would have to be considered when the Jacksonville contract is near expiration, which will be in 2021.

Gators defensive end Jabari Zuniga, who traveled with Mullen and Co. to Hoover for media day, spoke on the possibility of the rivalry taking place on campus as well.

"Me personally, I wouldn't mind it," spoke Zuniga. "It would be a good feeling to beat them at Georgia." However, Zuniga also stated that playing only two hours away in Jacksonville makes it practically a home game anyway.

"That's our home game, that's our field. We're the Florida Gators and we're in the state, so we've got to show everybody."

Where would you prefer FL/GA to be played, on campus or at TIAA Bank Field? Feel free to discuss on the Gators Territory message board.