JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Don’t expect Southeastern Conference rivals Florida and Georgia to play their annual football showdown at campus sites anytime soon, if ever again.
Top-ranked Georgia beat Florida 43-20 on Saturday in the matchup dubbed “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” — the Bulldogs extended their series winning streak to three games — at EverBank Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
With a $2 billion renovation planned for that venue and the surrounding area, though, both programs are exploring options to face off at other neutral-site venues for the two years EverBank Stadium won’t be available to them.
Although the Bulldogs and Gators haven’t completely ruled out playing a home-and-home series in 2026-27, administrators are focused on letting cities with NFL-ready stadiums bid on the game, according to two people familiar with the planning. Those sources spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the process hasn’t been formalized or finalized.
The next move is contingent on the Jacksonville City Council approving plans for a stadium overhaul that also would force the Jaguars to play home games in front of a reduced capacity (roughly 40,000) in 2026 and elsewhere in 2027. Florida and Georgia, meanwhile, would hold their annual meeting outside Jacksonville for the first time in more than three decades.