The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party has deep rooted history, with the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators facing off 103 times since 1904.
And while the series has historically taken place in Jacksonville, hosting 89 of the last 91 games and 92 matchups in total, it’s taking a short break — heading to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2026 and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, in 2027. The move to Atlanta is expected to net each team $7.5 million.
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Although Georgia leads the series 57-44-2, including winning seven of the last eight, it has been mostly a series of swings.
The Bulldogs won the first seven matchups (although Florida does not acknowledge the series’ first matchup in 1904), with the Gators finally getting on the board, winning both the 1928 and 1929 matchups. After a tie in 1930, the Bulldogs went on to win 17 of the next 20 games, holding a commanding 24-5-1 lead in the series.
Georgia, Florida set to be paid $7.5 million for playing at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium https://t.co/Kh5m1F80Et
— Dawgs247 (@Dawgs247) May 20, 2025
But in 1952 the momentum flipped, with Florida wiping the Bulldogs 30-0, starting a run of 10 wins in 12 years. The two would flip the matchup up back and forth every year from 1964-70, with a tie in 1969.
Then Georgia took back the reins. In 1971, the Bulldogs wiped the Gators 49-7, starting their own run of 15 wins in 19 years.
In 1990, Florida returned on top, starting a seven-year win streak and winning 18 of the next 21 games and 21 of the next 27 matchups, leading to the Bulldogs’ current 7-1 stretch in the last eight years.
With renovations at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, the series hits the road for the first time since 1994-95 when the old Gator Bowl Stadium was replaced with what is now EverBank. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and Florida’s Billy Napier chimed in on the move in a teleconference before the 2024 game.
“It’s been talked about and debated for a long time, for a while, since we’ve known the Jacksonville renovation was going to occur, and I think the parties involved did a great job managing it,” Smart said on Oct. 30, 2024.
“I think Jacksonville did a great job stepping up and making it worthwhile for both universities, and I’m excited about the opportunity to play at two different locations. That’ll be unique, and maybe we learn from those two experiences.”
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“We’re excited about the opportunity to play both in Atlanta and Tampa,” Napier said on the teleconference. “Both great venues, both will be well-run operations. I think we all understand the revenue that this game generates for both athletic departments. So, you know, I think it’s going to be unique and certainly we’re excited about that opportunity.”
This year’s game in Atlanta will be the first in Georgia since the 52-17 drubbing in Athens — the most ever scored by an opponent at Georgia — they’re going to look to right that wrong.
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