Georgia and Florida collectively made a huge mistake with how they scheduled their upcoming matchups. Typically they play in Jacksonville, but that stadium is under renovations for the next two years which forced Georgia and Florida to move their matchups to a new venue.
They opted to play in Atlanta in 2026 and Tampa in 2027, but nearly every fan of both teams wanted them to play on their campuses instead. But did Georgia and Florida care about that? Not in the slightest.
Georgia and Florida fans have been upset about this ever since it was announced in 2024, but mainstream media is finally taking notice and calling both programs out for this horrendous decision.
JUST PLAY THE HOME AND HOME https://t.co/r3yZfQ67Nq
— Jake “JBOY” Crain (@JakeCrain_) July 21, 2026
Georgia and Florida missed a huge opportunity to please their fans
Georgia and Florida have played in Jacksonville every year since 1996. In the years before that they also played in Jacksonville as well, but in 1994 and 1995 they played one game on each campus during Jacksonville stadium renovations.
These games are still remembered to this day because of the rare opportunity to play at both team's home stadiums. That is something most fans had never experienced, but it was amazing to see those matchups on campus even for just two years
Georgia and Florida had the chance to make the same decision in 2026 and 2027, but they let their fans down. And the only reason they made this decision was because both programs cared more about making as much money as possible.
Georgia and Florida proved that money will always trump everything else
Multiple reports have confirmed that both Georgia and Florida will make $7.5 million in 2026 to have their game in Atlanta. Both programs will then make $5 million in 2027 to have their game played in Tampa.
No one needs to be told how important financial resources are nowadays. In order to compete at the highest level both Georgia and Florida need to have significant financial backing as NIL deals continue to increase in value every year. So from that angle it makes sense for these schools to keep their game at a neutral site.
But why does every decision nowadays have to be made with money as the sole deciding factor? Why can't they ignore the money side of things just one time and give the fans what they want? Does missing out on this payday for just two years really matter that much?
From Georgia's perspective they are already giving up so many other exciting home games already. They lost home-and-home series with NC State, Louisville and Florida State already and their future series against Clemson and Ohio State feel like they could go away on any given day. So why can't Georgia fans have one thing to look forward to by having Florida come to Athens for the first time in three decades?
It's a shame that Georgia and Florida did this even if they are collecting a big payday, but it is nice to finally see the national media calling them out now too.
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