Georgia’s football’s rivalry game with Florida has been played at a neutral site in Jacksonville (outside of 1994 and 1995) since 1933. This means that essentially everyone alive has only seen these two teams battle it out in Athens and Gainesville twice during their lifetime, or they have yet to experience that.
There really isn’t anything wrong Georgia and Florida playing in Jacksonville, especially since there is a lot of history behind it. But many fans on both sides of the rivalry would love to see this heated matchup played on campus even just a couple times so they can experience a home atmosphere against their rival. So when word came out that the stadium in Jacksonville was being renovated and this game would have to be moved to a new location in 2026 and 2027, it seemed obvious what the two programs should do.
Play one of these games at Georgia and the other at Florida in their home stadiums. That however is not what the two sides decided to do as the game in 2026 will be in Atlanta with the 2027 edition in Tampa Bay.
So why was this decision made? Both teams will be receiving a huge payday for these games to be played at a neutral location, and according to Kirby Smart there is only one person who made that decision.
“That was an AD decision that ultimately came based on money."
“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
Kirby Smart confirms what the driving factor was in Georgia-Florida rivalry decision
It's clear from the above comment that Smart had no say in where this rivalry game will be played in 2026 and 2027. If it were up to him, Smart may have chosen to do a home and home series with the Gators, but it's not surprising to learn that he doesn't really care where the game is played.
But it is a shame that the athletic directos from Georgia and Florida opted for yet another money grab instead of giving the fans what they want. These two matchups will still be just as exciting as they are every other year, but it's hard to ignore the fact that the two programs missed an opportunity to do something special for their fans.