GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA– When the Ole Miss rebels were traveling 665 miles to cheer on their Rebs, Gator fans were chomping at the bit to host the foreign fans into the swamp.
Heated exchanges and trash talk separated the fan bases, but there was one place the two could coexist in tailgating peace.
Jordan Varnadore, University of Mississippi alum and born Florida fan said he wanted to create a familiar environment for Ole Miss fans in Gainesville
“What we wanted to do was bring the Grove to the swamp,” Varnadore said.
Growing up south of Gainesville, Varnadore said he was primed to be a Gator. He never missed a game between the ages of 5 and 18; one could say he would be following the footsteps of his family.
All of that changed when Varnadore came to Oxford to see the Rebels play agai
nst the Gators into 2002.
“We were told we needed to go to this place called the Grove,” Vanadore said.
Walking through the grove Varnadore said he was blown away by its beauty and unique culture. He said the hospitality was everything a visiting fan could ask for.
“They came up to me and said “Hey honey, you hungry? You need a cheeseburger?” Varnadore said, laughing.
Tailgating is not the same at Florida, Varnadore said. It is a little more spread out then what Rebel fans are used to.
Because Florida is not a yearly SEC opponent, Varnadore said he thought both fan bases were worried about how they would receive one another. That’s why he created a Facebook group to promote his tailgating spot.
Varnadore said the Facebook group started to increase in numbers and then the online traffic began to pour in and about 100 people confirmed they would be at the tailgate.
“All of the sudden, people had my phone number,” Varnadore said. “It’s an unbelievable response for the Ole Miss community.”
Varnadore said because he was unsure of the turnout, they began the tailgate set-up around 2 a.m. – and finished near 4 a.m.
“We slept on the concrete,” Varnadore said. “We just wanted to see what happened.”
As fans began to flood the Swamp, so did the hospitality.
With chandeliers hung from tents and sauce-soaked barbecue, the two teams were able to recreate the Oxford tailgate phenomenon.
“It’s an Ole Miss party in Gainesville,” Varnadore said. “It’s a baby Grove.”
