The Florida-Georgia rivalry, formerly known as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” has always been one of college football’s biggest showdowns. Played at a neutral site for years, the game built a unique tradition that fans looked forward to every season.
However, lately, there has been a lot of talk about moving the game to on-campus stadiums. But the issue is that Georgia faces Florida at a neutral site as part of a long-standing college football tradition. Now, there’s a fear that the tradition might not survive.
Kirby Smart Calls Out Bidding War Behind Florida-Georgia Rivalry’s New Direction
For years, the Florida-Georgia game has mostly been played at a neutral site. The only exception was in 1994-95, when it moved temporarily because of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ stadium construction before their NFL debut.
Now, both teams face a similar problem. EverBank Stadium needs a $1.4 billion renovation, forcing the game to relocate again.
At first, it seemed both teams planned to host the game on their campuses. But after some discussions, the game will instead be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in 2026 and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa in 2027. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart didn’t sugarcoat the decision.
“That was an AD decision that ultimately came based on money.”@KirbySmartUGA on the decision to play the 2025 and 2026 Georgia-Florida games in Atlanta and Tampa. 👀@GeorgiaFootball | @PeterBurnsESPN | @ChrisDoering | @JacobHester18 pic.twitter.com/ldKBn2I3Cc
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) May 30, 2025
“We got outbid, baby,” he said, explaining it was an administrative call based on financial offers. “That was an AD decision that ultimately came based on money, and Atlanta and Tampa ponied up and made really good financial offers,” Smart added.
Smart knows this rivalry better than most. He played for Georgia from 1995 to 1998 and still remembers the sting of a 52-17 loss to Florida. He even joked about the game.
“Because the point we kicked off the seventh time, no one was blocking… I had seven kickoff returns and broke a record, which means you’re really bad on defense.”
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Florida and Georgia will each earn $7.5 million for their games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2026 and Raymond James Stadium in 2027. The renovation should finish around 2028. After that, both teams will return to their traditional neutral site for their rivalry.
In the end, despite the money and talks, the Florida-Georgia rivalry will stay a neutral-site battle, at least for the next few years. Fans can look forward to the classic showdown continuing in familiar settings.
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