A popular party spot during the annual Georgia-Florida Weekend will be off limits for drinking this year.
Glynn County Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday night to ban alcohol on St. Simons Island’s East Beach on Nov. 6 and 7.
Commissioners said they voted for the ban because they’re concerned about the potential spread of COVID-19.
East Beach has gained the nickname "Frat Beach" over the years, due to the large number of college students who flock to it with alcohol during the annual football rivalry weekend between the University of Georgia Bulldogs and University of Florida Gators in Jacksonville.
Commissioner J. Peter Murphy said before the vote that unfortunately students do misbehave.
“All you have to do is look at the sorority and fraternity issues across the country, unauthorized parties where a large number of students come back infected with a virus," he said during the meeting.
Related: Local, State, And National Coronavirus Coverage
Video: Oct. 1, 2020 Glynn County Commission Meeting
WJCT News partner News4Jax reports Glynn County Police, the Georgia State Patrol and Department of Natural Resources will have patrols on the beach to enforce the two-day alcohol ban.
Georgia-Florida Weekend is usually held during the last week of October, but a decision was announced in August to push it back a week this year.
An announcement on whether there will be capacity restrictions at TIAA Bank Field hasn’t been made yet, although the Jacksonville Jaguars have been operating with a 25% capacity cap in the same stadium.
More information about this year’s Georgia-Florida Weekend is available on its official website.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
