Georgia - Florida Football Rivalry Potentially Moving to Home and Home for 2026 and 2027 Seasons

Brooks Austin | May 25, 2024

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart celebrates with his players and fans after their victory over Florida. The annual Georgia vs Florida football rivalry was held at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL Saturday, October 29, 2022. The Bulldogs went in at halftime with a 28 to 3 lead over the Gators and won with a final score of 42 to 20. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union] Jki 102822 Bs Georgia Vs Florida Football Game 2nd Half 06 / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY

Could the Georgia vs Florida matchup be moving to a home and home between the two SEC rivals? It's a potential possibility according to AD, Josh Brooks.

The Georgia-Florida rivalry is a frequently talked about rivalry and matchup on an annual basis. Not only because it features two of the sport's biggest brands and most intense rivalries, but also because the neutral site/split crowd aspect of things makes this rivalry one of the sport's most unique.

It's a rivalry that's been played in Jacksonville every year since 1995 & 1995 when the two teams exchanged home and homes. Apart from that, this game has been played in Jacksonville, Florida every year since 1933. That's a chain that will be broken again for stadium renovations in 2026 and 2027. The two teams are currently in discussions of finding a place to play the contest for the time being according to Bulldogs' athletic director, Josh Brooks.

“For the immediate, we’ve got to look at other options. Whether that’s home and home, whether it’s neutral sites, that’s something we’re working with Florida to look at options for those two years. Beyond that, excited. Once that construction is complete, we’re excited to go back there and see the potential and opportunities to make it a really special game for what they’re talking about doing. It looks like it’s going to be a really amazing project.”

The new Jaguars' Tiaa Bank Stadium is expected to have a canopy roof over the field and stadium akin to SoFi Stadium in LA where the Bulldogs won their second title in 2022 under Kirby Smart. Expectations are that Georgia and Florida will return to Jacksonville in 2028, when the renovations are completely done. The Jaguars are expected to play in a limited capacity stadium version of their stadium in 2026, holding a capacity of roughly 43,000 fans.

"This is something, and Florida and Georgia, we lead that on our own,” Brooks said. “We’ll talk to them about what’s available, but it’s something, we drive that ship.” That idea of this rivalry staying in Jacksonville is something that probably perturbs head coach Kirby Smart who's been rather open about his dislike for his biggest rivalry being a neutral site game in which he can't host recruits on campus every other year.

Other Georgia News:

• Georgia Bulldogs Poised for Deep Run in College Baseball Tournament
• Georgia Bulldogs 2024 NFL Draft Recap
• Ohio State Predicted to Have Defense Comparable to 2021 Georgia

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