Who cheers better at Georgia home football games? Which student-led group makes the biggest impact on the Bulldogs winning games?
It's not a trick question--it's more of a Both/And scenario. Sure, 93,000+ screaming Dawg fans can tilt the game in favor of Coach Kirby Smart and his team, but the student section is often the epicenter for igniting the fire of fan support that gets delay of game penalties and broken plays for the opponent.
And when thinking of the Georgia student section of Sanford Stadium, you think of Section 109 and 110, fronted by the Spike Squad and Paint Line, respectively.
What makes these groups so special?
Did you know both groups don't have reserved seating? They arrive at home games four to five hours early to get in line first, then sprint to the front row to reserve space for their group. They are ready for the game before most people have cracked open their first cold beverage of the day.
These young men and women stand the whole game and invest much time in body painting and gearing up in their specific costumes. The visible commitment brings respect and admiration from the Sanford crowd.
Despite third and long, you see Spike Squad chanting, Paint Line cheering and screaming. If they haven't given up hope, then neither can any self-respecting Dawg fan in attendance. They are as much a fixture at Georgia home games as the legendary "between the hedges."
The Georgia game day experience is heightened by Spike Squad and Paint Line
Imagine a home game without these groups present. It would look and and feel "off." Everyone would be able to notice. So would the team and the TV networks who love to pan to both groups throughout the game. And they aren't doggie-come-lately to the scene either.
Spike Squad was started in 2010 by Travis Fetchko before an Auburn game. Paint Line began when Steve Davis, Matt Leathers, Jim Paige and Tyson Marsh painted up on October 4, 1997, for a Mississippi State game at Sanford. Their zeal and stature have only grown since then.
No surprise that since 1997, UGA has had 27 bowl game appearances in a row, two national championships, and a 285-63 record. So does anyone still want to debate the Spike Squad and Paint Line Effect?