JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The annual rivalry matchup between the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs will remain in Jacksonville after renovations to Everbank Stadium are completed.
The City of Jacksonville announced Friday that it has reached a deal with the University of Georgia and the University of Florida to keep the game through the 2028-2031 college football seasons.
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Action News Jax told you on Wednesday that the Gators and Bulldogs will play at neutral sites in 2026 and 2027 during stadium renovations. The game will take place at Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in 2026 and at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa in 2027.
The game will be played at Everbank Stadium in 2025.
“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 news release. “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.”
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The rivalry game being played in Jacksonville is a long-standing tradition, going back to 1933.
“The Florida-Georgia Game has enjoyed a longstanding and special relationship with the City of Jacksonville, and we are pleased to continue one of college football’s great traditions there in 2028 once the impressive renovations to EverBank Stadium are complete,” University of Florida Athletics Director Scott Stricklin said in a news release. “For 2026 and 2027, the chance to continue the neutral site history of the series, while also maximizing revenue opportunities that are so critical during this transformative time in college athletics, make playing games in Atlanta and Tampa incredibly attractive. Both cities are special to Gator fans and offer venues that will provide wonderful experiences for both fans and players.”
“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,” Josh Brooks, the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics for the University of Georgia, said in a news release. “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.”
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