The Universities of Georgia and Florida are taking their annual disagreement out of Jacksonville’s neutral territory for the first time in 31 years. On Saturday, Oct. 31, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta hosts.
And Outkast helped Georgia dress for the occasion.
Nike’s new Outkast U collection brings André 3000 and Big Boi together with the University of Georgia and apparel brand Class Trip ahead of the rivalry game. Football jerseys, rugby shirts and a red wool varsity jacket with black leather sleeves anchor the lineup. The iconic Outkast crown sits atop Georgia’s logo, a restrained choice for a fan base being offered the opportunity to declare itself royalty.
Related: OutKast’s ‘ATLiens’ Turns 30 With a Surprise Tribute to Where It All Began
The collection makes its musical allegiance clear. Jerseys carry 96, the year Outkast released ATLiens. Satin outerwear, heavyweight fleece and headwear round out the range, while exclusive equipment and sideline apparel bring the partnership onto the field for Georgia athletes and staff. The varsity jacket makes the connection particularly clear, with Georgia and Outkast sharing space across the back.
In 1933, Jacksonville became the rivalry’s regular home, with the 1994 and 1995 games relocating to Gainesville and Athens during stadium renovations for the incoming Jaguars. Now, another construction project at EverBank Stadium sends the game long nicknamed the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” to Atlanta this year and Tampa in 2027, before a scheduled Jacksonville return in 2028.
Atlanta gets to put a little Stankonia into the proceedings. The duo gives this particular collaboration a reason to exist beyond the reliable discovery that college football fans will buy another jacket.
André and Big Boi helped make Southern hip-hop a place for funk, soul, jazz and cosmic experimentation. Their music could be rooted in a neighborhood and interested in another planet altogether. Their songs could tell intimate neighborhood stories or sound as though they were trying to outrun the radio. Together, their technical skill, humor, and willingness to experiment made an expansive argument for what Southern artists could do—and how little permission they needed.
Related: Gnarls Barkley Announced First Tour in 18 Years After ‘Crazy’ Made Them Stars
Those two dope boyz in a Cadillac had a decidedly earthly headquarters: the Dungeon, a studio in the basement of Organized Noize cofounder Rico Wade’s mother’s house. There, Outkast and fellow Atlanta artists, including Goodie Mob, helped develop a sound that traveled well beyond the city before the crown became something to put on licensed apparel; a community put in the work.
The collection rolled out October 27 through SNKRS, Class Trip and select Atlanta retailers, followed by Nike.com and additional stores on October 28. Nike also announced a game-day pop-up at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 31.
Jacksonville will eventually get its game back. This weekend, Atlanta gets to set the dress code. Gators: away whites. Bulldogs: SpottieOttieDopaliscious red.
