What the Florida-Georgia rivalry will look like in Jacksonville's 'Stadium of the Future'

The Jacksonville Jaguars have plans to significantly renovate TIAA Bank Field, the stadium the team has played at for the last 28 years. That means the location of the annual Florida–Georgia rivalry is also going to benefit from the upgrades.

The two SEC powers have long played their series in Jacksonville, a neutral-site location, aside from a two-year period in the mid-90s.

Then, construction forced the teams to play the Florida-Georgia rivalry on campus, much like the current plans are likely to force a similar adjustment. But judging by some renderings released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, the wait will be well worth it.

Check them out below.

Here’s what the annual Florida-Georgia game will look like inside Jacksonville’s renovated ‘Stadium of the Future’: pic.twitter.com/Gy3yvKEGpk

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 9, 2023

The modernized look to TIAA Bank Field will be a welcome sight for fans of the fantastic college football rivalry series.

But there could also be ancillary benefits to the stadium refitting. For one, the Florida-Georgia rivalry requires the stadium to add additional makeshift seating each year as part of the contract with the city of Jacksonville.

How the renovations impact that arrangement remains to be seen, but at the very least fans can probably expect a more comfortable experience down the road.

The renovations won’t get underway for a little while, though.

Recently, the city of Jacksonville announced that the contract option on the Florida-Georgia rivalry for 2024 and 2025 had been exercised, keeping the game there for an additional two years.

“Jacksonville has been the proud home of the Georgia-Florida game since 1933,” Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry said. “We are excited to welcome thousands of Dawgs and Gators to Jacksonville in 2024 and 2025. I want to thank the University of Georgia and the University of Florida for their continued faith and investment in our city.”

It’s widely expected the stadium renovations will keep the game from being played in Jacksonville for at least one year, if not two.

The reward will be well worth it, though, assuming the two programs return to playing in Jacksonville after another option has been experienced.

There’s also the complication of future SEC scheduling. That remains largely up in the air beyond the 2024 season, and any significant alterations could change the calculus for the two programs when it comes to playing the Florida-Georgia rivalry in Jacksonville.

That’s a concern for another day, though.