Georgia - Florida set to return to Jacksonville in 2028
The future home of the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party was up in the air after this season, but on Friday, clarity came as to how the game would go on, as Georgia and Florida have reached an agreement with the city of Jacksonville to return once stadium renovations are completed.
After a stop in both Atlanta and Tampa for one year each, Georgia-Florida will be back in its traditional home starting in 2028, with contractual plans to stay through 2031.
“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 from Georgia Sports Communications. “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 matchup began being played in Jacksonville in 1933 and has since rarely left the neutral site, making it one of the last such games of its kind in college football.
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“The annual Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville is one of the greatest traditions in college sports, and we are excited the game will return to EverBank Stadium in 2028,” said J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics for the University of Georgia Josh Brooks. “We are fortunate to have a pair of exceptional venues in Atlanta and Tampa that will host the game for the next two years as the Georgia-Florida matchup joins a long line of major events to take place in those two cities, which have hosted both the Super Bowl and the College Football Playoff National Championship. Our goal, as always, is to create a first-class experience for our student-athletes, staff and fans, and this temporary move, along with the stadium renovations in Jacksonville, will only enhance the storied Georgia-Florida rivalry.”
According to Brett McMurphy of Action Network, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Atlanta will host the rivalry game in 2026 followed by the city of Tampa and Raymond James Stadium doing so in 2027.
Georgia and Florida are under contract with the city of Jacksonville through 2025. The move to Atlanta in 2026 will put the game outside of Duval County for the first time since 1994 (Gainesville) and 1995 (Athens) when the stadium the Jaguars’ stadium was being built.
