Gators football fans looking to make the trek to major SEC away games have a new alternative to the cluttered minivans and crammed sedans that pepper the roads prior to Game Day.
A new Web site, rivalryroadtrips.com, is offering road trip packages to the LSU, Georgia and South Carolina games that include transportation, lodging, food and discounts for bars and restaurants near the game.
Nick Grossman, 27, president of Rivalry Roadtrips, said the two-year-old company has gradually expanded, opening up its services to SEC schools beginning this semester.
"Florida's a no-brainer," he said. "We recognize that with a great fan base, we could organize good trips."
The company started as an idea Grossman had as a freshman at Central College with a friend from the University of Iowa in 2001.
They organized a trip to Madison, Wis., with a group a friends to catch the rivalry game between Iowa and Wisconsin, and it led to a series of trips to cover all of the major Big Ten Conference games.
Since then, the business has grown steadily and now caters to 16 universities ranging from the SEC to the Big 12 to the Big Ten.
Although the company continues to prosper, Grossman still sees room for growth.
"It's a long-term goal to be on every major to mid-major campus in the country," he said.
Grossman said his favorite aspect of the job is researching potential destinations, one big game at a time.
The company charters buses that leave campus on Friday and return Sunday. Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches and Gators football highlights are provided in-transit.
The trip includes a two-night stay at a hotel near the site of the game and discounts with partnering restaurants and bars.
UF junior Elizabeth Stein, the company's campus representative for the November trip to South Carolina, will be traveling to Columbia as a representative and as a customer for the Georgia game in Jacksonville.
"It seems like a really great idea, but until you see it yourself, you don't know," she said.
According to the Web site, a full package for the upcoming LSU game costs $219, with a bus-only option costing $139.
