Why the Georgia-Florida game is leaving Jacksonville

The Georgia Bulldogs are playing the Florida Gators in Atlanta for the first time in the history of the rivalry. The 2026 Georgia-Florida game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is where Georgia has won the past two SEC championships.

The Georgia-Florida game won't be played in Jacksonville for the first time since 1995, when Georgia and Florida met in Athens a year after playing in Gainesville. Why is Georgia versus Florida not being played in Jacksonville? The Jacksonville Jaguars' stadium, EverBank Stadium is currently undergoing renovations.

EverBank Stadium is in the middle of a major $1.4 billion renovation project that started in Feb. 2025 and is scheduled to be complete in Aug. 2028. According to the Jaguars, the renovations will "enhance the ability to attract other events, such as soccer games and concerts" after they are complete.

EverBank Stadium's current capacity is only 42,500, which is not enough to meet the enormous ticket demand for the Georgia-Florida game. In fact, the Georgia-Florida series will be in Atlanta in 2026 and in Tampa in 2027 before returning to Jacksonville in 2028. The Jaguars will have to play home games at Camping World Stadium in Orlando during the 2027 NFL season.