St. Simons Island gears up for Georgia-Florida game

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — It’s the game of all games. At least in this neck of the woods.

“Everyone on this island is out participating because they're all into the Georgia-Florida game,” Gail Flexer said.

St. Simons Island has been a hotbed for traveling fans for years. Some meet up at "frat beach," while others take in the shops and restaurants downtown.

“Even before I worked here, I knew it was a very busy weekend. Yep. That game brings a lot of pull,” Holly Martin, employee at Simons Gifts, said.

With roughly 82,000 fans expected to pack out EverBank Field for the game, it's not hard to see how people get excited.

When St. Simons got hit by Hurricane Matthew, some wondered if the spark would be snuffed out. Crews are still cleaning up, but that's not stopping most from enjoying the festivities.

“Everything seems to be rolling and functioning just great,” Georgia fan Mark Shumaker said.

“The streets will be backed up all the way to the mainland on Friday and the beaches will be covered. It's endless,” Flexer said.

Cox Media Group