Georgia-Florida game moving out of Jacksonville

The Georgia versus Florida rivalry has a new home

(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

The Georgia-Florida rivalry is moving to Atlanta, Georgia, in 2026 and Tampa, Florida, in 2027. The rivalry is moving out of Jacksonville for two years due to stadium renovations.

The news does not come as a shock because Jacksonville’s stadium renovations have been scheduled for several years.

The 2026 edition of Georgia-Florida will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The 2027 game will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, per Brett McMurphy.

“It’s been talked about and debated for a long time,” said Georgia head coach Kirby Smart on the future venues of the Georgia-Florida game. “For a while, since we’ve known the Jacksonville renovation was going to occur. I think the parties involved did a great job of managing it.”

The last time Georgia and Florida played each other outside of Jacksonville was 1994-1995.

“I think Jacksonville did a great job stepping up and making it worthwhile for both universities,” Smart said. “I’m excited about the opportunity to play at two different locations, so that’ll be unique. Maybe we learn from those two experiences.”

Georgia is scheduled to play Georgia Tech in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2025, so the Bulldogs will play at least one game in Mercedes-Benz each year between 2016 and 2026 (except 2020) as long as things go according to plan.

Georgia is slated to play Florida at 3:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 2. The game will be televised on ABC. Georgia has won six of the last seven games in series history.