The annual Georgia-Florida game will be played at alternate sites in 2026 and 2027, Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported Wednesday.
Due to major renovations at EverBank Stadium slated to begin next year, the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators will be forced to play their annual game elsewhere. However, the two schools will not meet at their on-campus stadiums in Athens and Gainesville.
In 2026, the two schools will meet at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., with the Bulldogs as the home team. Florida, the home team in odd seasons, will be the host for the 2027 contest and it will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Other Florida cities that were considered for the 2027 contest include Miami and Orlando.
“It’s been talked about and debated for a long time, for a while, since we’ve known the Jacksonville renovation was going to to occur,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Wednesday. “You know, I think the parties involved did a great job stepping up and making it worthwhile for both universities and excited about the opportunity to play it, you know, two different locations, so that’ll be unique and maybe we learn from those experiences.”
Georgia and Florida have met annually in Jacksonville since 1933, with the exception of 1994 and 1995 when the old Gator Bowl underwent renovations for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. The stadium, now named EverBank Stadium, has a seating capacity of 67,814 and is expandable to 82,000.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to play in both Atlanta and Tampa, both great venues” Florida head coach Billy Napier said on the SEC teleconference Wednesday. “Both will be well-run operations. I think we all understand the revenue that this game generates for both athletic departments. I think it’s going to be unique and certainly we’re excited about that opportunity.”
Following the 2027 contest, the Georgia-Florida game will return to Jacksonville. An announcement of a long-term contract is expected soon.
Second-ranked Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC) and Florida (4-3, 2-2 SEC) will square off on Saturday, Nov. 2 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The game will be televised by ABC and streamed via ESPN+ at 3:30pm ET (Buy Tickets).
Chris Fowler will call the play-by-play, Kirk Herbstreit will provide analysis, while Holly Rowe will report from the sidelines.