The Florida-Georgia rivalry is moving from Jacksonville in 2026 and 2027 while the NFL stadium undergoes renovations

Florida and Georgia are moving their annual rivalry showdown away from their historic home in Jacksonville, Fla., for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, Gators coach Billy Napier confirmed on the SEC coaches conference call Wednesday. Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will host the game in 2026, while Raymond James Stadium in Tampa will host the teams in 2027.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will undertake a renovation of EverBank Stadium that will reduce the facility's capacity in 2026 and close it completely in 2027. Once the renovation is complete, the annual game is expected to return to Jacksonville, according to Stadium's Brett McMurphy.

The border opponents have met 102 times since 1915, 92 of these meetings took place in Jacksonville. All but two of their meets since 1932 have been held in Jacksonville; The teams played games on campus in 1994 and 1995 when the stadium, formerly known as the Gator Bowl, was renovated for the NFL's expansion to Jacksonville.

The location of the game has become a point of discussion. Although the series has a rich history in Jacksonville, Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart does expressed interest while playing in campus venues. In seasons where the Bulldogs begin with a neutral site game – like this year against Clemson – they are left with just six home games, reducing the number of opportunities for the Bulldogs to recruit.

However, Napier did shown in recent years on the positive financial impact for both schools of playing the game in Jacksonville instead of the traditional home-on-home format.

“Kirby and I probably both agree that it would be great to compete at home,” Napier said on Wednesday’s conference call. “But we also know that there is tremendous revenue, there is a significant difference in the revenue generated.”