GREENSBORO —The latest plans for major renovations to the stadium that hosts the annual Georgia-Florida football game call for the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars to be replaced for just one season there, but the game known as the world’s biggest outdoor cocktail party world must still happen. be transferred elsewhere in 2026 and 2027.
The Jaguars plan to play the 2026 season with a reduced capacity of about 43,500 people at EverBank Stadium, with the upper deck closed as part of the $1.4 billion project, team president Mark Lamping said last week on 1010XL in Jacksonville.
That’s not feasible for Georgia-Florida, which last season was played in front of a crowd of 76,251.
Therefore, playing elsewhere – probably at another neutral site, with home and home not out of the question – is still necessary in these two seasons. The schools are under contract to play in Jacksonville through the 2025 game.
“We are working with Florida to look at options for these two years,” Brooks said Friday morning after a meeting of Georgia’s athletics board of directors, in which a $192.7 million budget for the fiscal year 2025 was approved as expected. the construction is complete, we’re excited to get back out there and see the potential and the opportunities to make it a really special game with what they’re talking about doing.
Orlando and Gainesville are keeping tabs on the Jaguars for the 2027 game.
Playing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa or Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte could all be possibilities as neutral sites for Georgia-Florida.
“We continue to talk with the city of Jacksonville and the Jaguars about their exciting plans,” Florida senior associate athletic director Steve McClain said in an email to the Athens Banner-Herald last week. “Our understanding is that further approvals are needed before the next steps are taken, so we must wait before commenting publicly on how this could impact the Florida-Georgia game. “
Georgia earns about $6 million more over a two-year period playing at a neutral site rather than at home. Georgia this year is listing $4.2 million in revenue for the Florida game.
The game has been played annually in Jacksonville since 1933, except in 1994 and 1995 when the stadium was also renovated.
In other scheduling news, Georgia and UCLA have been discussing whether scheduled games at UCLA in 2025 and against the Bruins in Athens in 2026 will be played.
“We’re still working on it,” Brooks said. “I expect an update on this soon.”
This article originally appeared in the Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia AD Josh Brooks on site for Georgia vs. Florida football in 2026
