ATLANTA, Ga. — Atlanta’s own Outkast is lending its crown to the Georgia Bulldogs this week, as Nike rolls out a limited apparel line to mark the first Georgia-Florida football game ever played in Atlanta.
The collection, called Outkast U, is a team-up between the hip-hop duo, the University of Georgia, Nike and the college merchandise label Class Trip. It pairs the Georgia G with Outkast’s signature crown on items such as a red wool varsity jacket, jerseys carrying the number 96, a satin bomber and rugby shirts, along with hats and tees.
The 96 is a double nod. It points to 1996, when the ATLiens album came out, and to Kirby Smart’s days as a Bulldogs defensive back that same year, long before he became Georgia’s head coach.
Class Trip founder Brian Francis said the idea took shape over lunch with Andre 3000, who talked about making drives to Athens to watch Georgia play. Francis described the line as a thank-you to the city that produced Outkast.
Georgia players and coaches will also wear exclusive on-field gear for the game, including eye shields, gloves and mouthguards with So Fresh and So Clean graphics.
Shoppers can grab the first pieces Tuesday from select Atlanta Nike retailers, Class Trip or the SNKRS app. A wider release follows Wednesday on nike.com and at other stores, and a pop-up shop will run at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on game day, Saturday, Oct. 31.
The rivalry has been played mostly in Jacksonville since 1933. It moved to Atlanta this year while EverBank Stadium undergoes renovations.
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