Earl Reed’s tailgate had a Georgia fan’s essentials: burgers and hot dogs on the grill, bright red camping chairs, rows of baked goods like cinnamon rolls and donuts, plastic cups with the Georgia logo.
His vehicle, however, stood out among rows of gray and black trucks in the Home Depot Backyard lot at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday ahead of the SEC Championship game between No. 1 Georgia and No. 8 Alabama.
A white, retrofitted school bus decorated with “USA,” Falcons and Bulldogs decals sat behind Reed’s tailgate spread. His family members hung out in the bus, chatting and eating next to Falcons and Bulldogs stickers and decor such as flags and a Falcons-themed stop sign.
Reed, who grew up two miles from the stadium and now lives in McDonough, retrofitted the former Georgia Military Academy vehicle around three years ago. It’s become a tailgate staple for his family at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where he has brought it to multiple SEC Championship games and Falcons games.
A Georgia fan for more than 30 years, Reed was among the earliest to arrive in the lot, at around 9 a.m. Saturday for the 4 p.m. game.
“There’s not going to be room for mistakes,” Reed said of the Bulldogs’ chances. “They’re going to have to go in there confident and do it. We’re keeping our fingers crossed. I haven’t started drinking alcohol yet.”
Around the time Reed arrived, the outside concourses at Mercedes-Benz Stadium were empty, and an eerie gray mist surrounded the building. Fog enveloped downtown Atlanta for most of Saturday morning, as distant skyscrapers disappeared into the clouds.
But the quiet start gave way to a sea of fans donning fire-engine and crimson red jerseys, sweatshirts, embroidered bag straps and more as the start of the SEC Championship game neared.
Alabama and Georgia’s rivalry has turned into an emotional showdown for fans. The Bulldogs signaled a new chapter in the rivalry with its victory in the College Football Playoff Championship game in January 2022, putting an end to the Crimson Tide’s seven-game win streak against the Bulldogs that spanned 14 seasons.
This year’s SEC Championship game marked the first meeting between the teams since Georgia’s national title win. There was plenty at stake Saturday: the Bulldogs’ 29-game win streak, CFP odds for both teams (though more complex for Alabama) and regional bragging rights.
But confidence was the prevailing emotion for fans on both sides in the hours before the game.
“If you win 29 games in a row, you’re not nervous,” Georgia fan Chad Cherry said.
Cherry, who tailgated off Northside Drive, attended the CFP title games the past two seasons. He already has flights and hotels booked in Houston should the Bulldogs play in the title game this season.
Georgia fans were the largest group at the morning tailgates, setting up black-and-red tents and flags in the Home Depot lot and other areas around the stadium. Several of the earliest tailgaters hailed from the surrounding area – such as Cherry and his friends, who drove from Douglasville.
Samuel Paster of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was among a small group of Tide fans tailgating in the morning Saturday. He gathered with around 10 friends and family members, watching ESPN’s “College GameDay” under a tent next to tables filled with liquor and baked goods such as pound cake.
He felt good about Alabama’s chances, saying they would be eating “dawg meat” Saturday night.
“We love Atlanta,” Paster said. “This is like a home away from home. We rule this stadium. This is a home game for us. I don’t know about Georgia.”
The intensity between the two fan bases runs deep. Reed said he’s never been a fan of the Tide, and one of his relatives pulled a “College GameDay” from 2021 sign out of his bus that read “Alexa Play ‘I hate Alabama’ by Conner Smith’” in red-and-black lettering, complete with a Bulldogs sticker.
For Georgia fan Wayland Rucker, playing Alabama brings to mind memories of Nick Chubb’s overtime loss to Alabama in the CFP title game in January 2018 and Georgia’s interception return for a touchdown four years later that sealed the national championship. Rucker, of Athens, said he knows Alabama always will be a tough game.
It’s the same for Paster, who noted the close nature of most of the teams’ matchups and their deep history.
What also came with Saturday’s storied rivalry: sticker shock. The least expensive ticket available on Ticketmaster at 7 p.m. Friday was $376. The most expensive? A $9,999 ticket in Row 2 of section 129C.
Paster said it cost around $1,000 for two parking spots in the Home Depot lot. He said that as an Alabama fan, he’s used to the high prices.
“It’s Alabama,” Paster said. “You’re going to pay for the best. It’s just like clothes: You pay for what you get.”
Prices appeared to significantly vary in the Home Depot lot. One tailgater who went directly through the stadium paid $125, while another said she paid $250.
But entering Mercedes-Benz Stadium wasn’t the end-all-be-all for some fans. Rucker has tailgated at several Georgia games, including Saturday’s, without having a ticket. He DJs on the side and brought his equipment to Saturday’s game, playing both schools’ fight songs and a mix of genres.
He planned to watch the game on TV from the parking lot, eating wings, fried fish and sausage dogs with friends and family.
As game time grew closer, barks and “Roll Tides!” rang out around Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Plenty was riding on the outcome for both teams. But, for fans, the excitement of grilling, wandering through the “College GameDay” area and the Georgia World Congress Center and donning their team’s colors proved a joyful distraction from the gravity of the game to come.
