Florida-Georgia banners hang in Downtown Jacksonville l Steven Ponson, Jacksonville Today
Published on November 1, 2024 at 12:15 pm
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The annual Florida-Georgia football game, one of the year’s biggest events in Jacksonville, will reutrn in 2028 after the $1.4 billion renovation of EverBank Stadium.
The city announced Friday that it has signed an agreement with the University of Georgia and the University of Florida for the games to be played here through the 2031 season.
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A non-binding memorandum of understanding, obtained by the Jacksonville Daily Record, includes these terms:
- The city will pay each school $1.5 million in 2026 and 2027, when they will play elsewhere.
- Beginning in 2028, the city will pay each school a minimum of $10 million for the 2028 and 2029 games and a minimum of $10.5 million for the 2030 and 2031 games.
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- Each school must buy at least 25,000 tickets for games between 2028 and 2031. Ticket prices must average at least $250 or the average ticket price from 2026 and 2027, whichever is greater.
- Jacksonville will pay $350,000 to Georgia for travel expenses and $60,000 to Florida.
- The city will retain any revenue from sponsorships, concessions and parking.
- The teams are responsible for all team and conference expenses. The city will pay for all stadium staffing.
In a news release, Mayor Donna Deegan said the agreement meets the “financial and operational needs” of the schools and brings tens of thousands of fans and millions of dollars in economic development to the city.
“There is shared excitement by all parties for the game to return to Jacksonville in the Stadium of the Future, which will be a world-class stadium that meets NFL standards, starting in 2028,” Deegan said. “We are grateful that this matchup will continue bringing our communities together to celebrate college football and drive economic impact.”
The Florida-Georgia rivalry
The Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs have competed in Jacksonville since 1933 with the exception of 1943, 1993 and 1994, when the city was rebuilding the stadium to accommodate the expansion Jaguars in 1995. The Gators didn’t field a team in 1943 due to World War II.
The game is one of few remaining rivalries that are played at a neutral site.
This year’s Florida-Georgia game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The teams will play at EverBank Stadium next year but then move to Atlanta in 2026 and Tampa in 2027.
The renovations at EverBank Stadium will force reduced capacity in 2026, and the Jaguars will play the 2027 season away from Jacksonville as bigger work is completed. The team will return to its new stadium in 2028.
