Georgia coach Kirby Smart, left, and Florida coach Billy Napier chat before the 2022 Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville. (File photo)
Carter's Corner: Napier, Smart Discuss Florida-Georgia Rivalry Shifting Locations in 2026 and '27
Friday, November 1, 2024 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators face No. 2-ranked Georgia in Jacksonville on Saturday afternoon at EverBank Stadium. The official announcement arrived Friday that after the 2025 game in Jacksonville, the schools will play in Atlanta in 2026, followed by Tampa in 2027, and then back to Jacksonville at least through 2031.
Florida coach Billy Napier and Georgia coach Kirby Smart, speaking on Wednesday's SEC media teleconference, addressed reports of the annual rivalry game moving to Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2026 and Tampa's Raymond James Stadium in 2027 while EverBank Stadium undergoes significant renovations.
Action Network reported the 2026-27 game locations on Wednesday morning.
"We're excited about the opportunity to play in both Atlanta and Tampa," Napier said. "Both great venues. Both will be well-ran operations. We all understand the revenue this game generates for both athletic departments. It's going to be unique, and certainly, we're excited about that opportunity."
The move from Jacksonville won't be the first time the game has shifted location. While Jacksonville has hosted the game since 1933, when the old Gator Bowl was demolished in the 1990s and the city built a new stadium to house the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, the schools met in Gainesville in 1994 and Athens in 1995.
The schools have never held the Florida-Georgia game in Atlanta and only once – 1919 – in Tampa.
Once the stadium renovation is done in Jacksonville, the game will return there in 2028. The two-year relocation has been on the radar of both schools and their fans for more than a year.
"It's been talked about and debated for a long time, for a while, since we've known the Jacksonville renovation was going to occur," Smart said. "I think the parties involved did a great job managing it, and I think Jacksonville did a great job stepping up and making it worthwhile for both universities and I'm excited about the opportunity to play at two different locations. That'll be unique and maybe we learn from those two experiences."
Napier said he and Smart have discussed the positives of a home-and-home series regarding recruiting. Still, he understands the economics of college football, especially in the NIL era.
"Kirby and I would probably both agree that it would be awesome to be a home-and-home, but we also know there is a tremendous amount of revenue created by having this game at a neutral site," Napier said. "Money makes the world go round, and certainly the amount of revenue, there's a significant difference in the revenue that's generated. I think the neutral site will present those same revenue opportunities, and that's ultimately why the decision was made."
Florida coach Billy Napier and Georgia coach Kirby Smart, speaking on Wednesday's SEC media teleconference, addressed reports of the annual rivalry game moving to Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2026 and Tampa's Raymond James Stadium in 2027 while EverBank Stadium undergoes significant renovations.
Action Network reported the 2026-27 game locations on Wednesday morning.
Florida-Georgia game moving to Atlanta's @MBStadium in 2026 & Tampa's @RJStadium in 2027, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. The series takes a 2-year break from Jacksonville as EverBank Stadium undergoes renovations. It returns to Jax in 2028, source saidhttps://t.co/PsXlsWV8om
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) October 30, 2024
"We're excited about the opportunity to play in both Atlanta and Tampa," Napier said. "Both great venues. Both will be well-ran operations. We all understand the revenue this game generates for both athletic departments. It's going to be unique, and certainly, we're excited about that opportunity."
The move from Jacksonville won't be the first time the game has shifted location. While Jacksonville has hosted the game since 1933, when the old Gator Bowl was demolished in the 1990s and the city built a new stadium to house the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, the schools met in Gainesville in 1994 and Athens in 1995.
The schools have never held the Florida-Georgia game in Atlanta and only once – 1919 – in Tampa.
Once the stadium renovation is done in Jacksonville, the game will return there in 2028. The two-year relocation has been on the radar of both schools and their fans for more than a year.
"It's been talked about and debated for a long time, for a while, since we've known the Jacksonville renovation was going to occur," Smart said. "I think the parties involved did a great job managing it, and I think Jacksonville did a great job stepping up and making it worthwhile for both universities and I'm excited about the opportunity to play at two different locations. That'll be unique and maybe we learn from those two experiences."
Napier said he and Smart have discussed the positives of a home-and-home series regarding recruiting. Still, he understands the economics of college football, especially in the NIL era.
"Kirby and I would probably both agree that it would be awesome to be a home-and-home, but we also know there is a tremendous amount of revenue created by having this game at a neutral site," Napier said. "Money makes the world go round, and certainly the amount of revenue, there's a significant difference in the revenue that's generated. I think the neutral site will present those same revenue opportunities, and that's ultimately why the decision was made."
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