College Football – It’s never too early to talk about college football

Northeast Florida cheers and closely follows three college football teams with undying devotion. The University of Florida Gators, the recent home of superstar Tim Tebow, now an NFL favorite of the Denver Broncos, continue their powerhouse tradition in nearby Gainesville at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, better known as The Swamp.

Jacksonville is the family home of Tim Tebow, and he played high school football for Nease High School in northern St. Johns County before officially becoming a Florida Gator. His parents and other family members still live and work in Jacksonville.

The Florida State University Seminoles, never to be outdone by their rival Gators, are denizens of Tallahassee, Florida’s capital, just 150 miles west of Jacksonville.

And, one of the newest and most exciting college football teams, the Jacksonville University Dolphins are coming into their own as they continue to make themselves known in the college football world.

Every November the annual Florida-Georgia (or, Georgia-Florida, depending on your geographic preference) football game is held at EverBank Field in downtown Jacksonville, normally known as the home of the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars. This decades-old clash of titan schools the University of Florida and University of Georgia creates nearly a full week of local festivities leading up to the big game on Saturday afternoons. Some people plan their entire fall sports calendar around this one game.

During the New Years college football bowl season, the annual Gator Bowl Game (EverBank Field for decades was first known as the Gator Bowl before corporate naming rights became fashionable) is held at EverBank Field, and produces a sell-out crowd.

Jacksonville is a football town, either professionally with the Jacksonville Jaguars, or on the college level with the Gators, Seminoles, Dolphins, and the Gator Bowl game. Jacksonville was the host of Super Bowl XXXIX played February 6, 2005 at Alltel Stadium (today’s EverBank Field). The New England Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21. Sir Paul McCartney performed during the halftime show. Sir Paul previously had visited Jacksonville in 1964 during a concert tour stop by The Beatles.