Associated Press Oct 29, 2023, 12:49 PM ET4 Minute Read
Ladd McConkey scores 41 yards for a Georgia touchdown
Carson Beck hits Ladd McConkey for a 41-yard touchdown to tie Georgia.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Don’t expect Georgia and Florida to play their annual rivalry game on campus any time soon, if at all.
The SEC heavyweights are exploring options for hosting the game, often referred to as “the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party,” in the two years that Jacksonville anticipates a $2 billion renovation of EverBank Stadium and the surrounding area held at other neutral venues.
While they haven’t completely ruled out hosting a home-and-home series in 2026 and 2027, administrators are focused on allowing cities with NFL-ready stadiums to bid on the game, according to two people familiar with the planning. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the process has not been formalized or completed.
The next step depends on the Jacksonville City Council approving plans for a stadium renovation that would also force the Jacksonville Jaguars to play their home games in 2026 and elsewhere in 2027 at a reduced capacity (approximately 40,000). Georgia and Florida, on the other hand, would be playing outside of Jacksonville for the first time in more than three decades.
In 2026, when Georgia will be the home team, the game would likely land at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with tickets split 50-50 as usual. The following year, with Florida as the home team, it could land at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa or Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
The reason is simple: Schools can make more money playing at neutral venues like EverBank. The schools have played in Jacksonville annually since 1933, with a two-year hiatus while the Gator Bowl was renovated prior to the Jaguars’ inaugural season. The game was moved to Gainesville in 1994 and to Athens, Georgia the following year.
Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart has been vocal about his desire to bring the game back to campus for recruiting purposes; NCAA rules prohibit coaches from contact with recruits at neutral sites, although the home team can leave tickets for them.
But Smart would prefer the personal contact he could get if the game were held in Athens.
“I firmly believe that going home-and-home allows us to sign better players because we have more opportunities to get them on campus,” Smart said last season.
Smart retracted his comments earlier this week.
“I don’t really think about it anymore,” he said. “We are where we are. Other than the off-season, that really hasn’t occurred to me when asked. I care much more about how we play than where we play.”
Florida coach Billy Napier was quick to point out that “the underlying issue here is economics.”
Jacksonville’s payout is about $3 million for each school in 2023, an amount that includes $1.25 million guaranteed and a split from ticket revenue and concession sales. The guaranteed payout for each school increases to $1.5 million in 2024 and 2025, the final two years of the current contract.
Georgia also receives $350,000 annually for its charter flights, buses and lodging, while Florida receives $60,000 for not requiring flights.
In comparison, a home game in Florida brings in between $2 million and $5 million, depending on the opponent. So a home-and-home series would bring in less revenue over a two-year period than a neutral-site game.