Georgia and Florida have agreed to move their games in 2026 and 2027 to Atlanta and Tampa, while EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville is being renovated.
The two schools are also expected to extend their contract with Jacksonville for 2028 and beyond, with an announcement possible before Saturday’s game.
The news of Atlanta and Tampa getting the 2026-27 games was first reported by the Action Network, then confirmed by Florida coach Billy Napier during his appearance on the weekly SEC teleconference.
“Both will be well-run operations,” Napier said Wednesday on the SEC teleconference. “I think we all understand the revenue that generates for our athletic departments.”
The game, commonly known as the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, has taken place in Jacksonville annually since 1929, other than 1994-1995, when the Gator Bowl was demolished and replaced with what is now EverBank Stadium.
The game went to campus sites those two years, but this time around, the two programs are shopping it to other neutral sites. That decision, along with keeping the game in Jacksonville, comes amid rising costs for athletic departments, especially with about $20 million annually in revenue sharing to athletes that is expected to take effect next year.
It did not escape Georgia’s notice that Georgia Tech got a $10-million guarantee from Mercedes-Benz Stadium to move its home game against Georgia there for the 2025 season. That showed the market and maybe even raised it.
“Money makes the world go round,” Napier said.
The current contract, which expires after the 2025 game, has each school receiving a $1.5 million guarantee, but most of the money comes from ticket revenue, which the schools split 50-50. That has been estimated at between $3-4 million for each school. The city of Jacksonville estimates the game brings more than $30 million annually to its economy.
The move to renew with Jacksonville is not a surprise. Athletic director Josh Brooks telegraphed it at UGA’s board meeting in May: “We’re working with Florida to look at the options for those two years. Then beyond that excited, once the construction is complete, we’re excited to go back there to see the potential and opportunities to make it a really special game with what they’re talking about doing. It looks like it’s going to be a really amazing project.”
Georgia coach Kirby Smart has been clear through the years about his desire to move the game to campus sites for recruiting reasons. Smart likes the idea of every other year being able to host recruits for a weekend in Athens during a rivalry game. But Smart has also said he understands the financial incentives for playing it in Jacksonville, especially with revenue sharing coming.
(Photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
