Skip to main content
florida logo

Jacksonville pays big bucks to keep Florida-Georgia

On3 imageby:Keith Niebuhr•11/02/24•

On3Keith

Kirby-Smart-Georgia-Florida-Gators-Billy-Napier
Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier and Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart prior to the game at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Earlier this week it was announced the annual Florida-Georgia game will be played at neutral sites in 2026 and ’27 due to stadium renovations in Jacksonville, Fla. Additionally, the schools revealed the game will return to the city in 2028 with contractual plans to host the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party through 2031. 

Jacksonville reportedly is paying big bucks to keep the game.

Per Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald, Jacksonville has guaranteed Florida and Georgia $10 million each for the 2028 and 2029 games, then will pay them $10.5 million in 2030 and 2031. Additionally, the city will pay the schools $1.5 million each in 2026 and 2027, when the game will be held first in Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) then Tampa (Raymond James Stadium). That is the amount guaranteed to Florida and Georgia under the current contract.

“We are honored to extend the time-honored tradition of the Georgia-Florida rivalry game in Jacksonville for four more years. It is the result of many months of close collaboration with our partners at the University of Florida and the University of Georgia,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said in a release this week. “There is shared excitement by all parties for the game to return to Jacksonville in the Stadium of the Future, which will be a world-class stadium that meets NFL standards, starting in 2028. We are grateful that this matchup will continue bringing our communities together to celebrate college football and drive economic impact.”

The Florida Gators and UGA Bulldogs have met annually in Jacksonville for years

This year’s Florida-Georgia game, which is Saturday in Jacksonville, has been played in that city since 1933, with only a few exceptions. There was a wartime interruption in 1943. Later, the 1994 game was played in Gainesville, Fla., and the 1995 game was held in Athens, Ga., while the stadium in Jacksonville was rebuilt ahead of the first season of NFL football there.

In 2027, Tampa will host the game for the first time since 1919.

“The Gators are excited about the opportunity to play Georgia in Tampa in 2027,” Florida athletics director Stricklin said. “Tampa Bay is a special Gator community and Raymond James Stadium, which has hosted both CFP National Championships and Super Bowls, will be a fantastic venue for fans of both schools. We are appreciative of the work and effort of Rob Higgins and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission to make this game happen and we are looking forward to building on the many memories the Gators have from playing in Tampa.”

Georgia leads the all-time series 55–44–2.

You may also like