BREAKING: UGA Football to Get $44 Million to Return to Jacksonville to Play Florida Gators
LIMITED TIME: Get Dawg Post coverage for $1 RIGHT NOW
JACKSONVILLE - The Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators will return to the traditional site of their rivalry in 2028, and they will be paid handsomely for it.
The Athens Banner-Herald reported Friday that UGA will be paid a total of $44 million over from 2026 to 2031 years to play the Gators away from home.
“The City of Jacksonville is guaranteeing a minimum of $10 million to each school for each of the 2028 and 2029 seasons,” the Banner-Herald reported. “The minimum guarantee goes up to $10.5 million for each school for each of the 2030 and 2031 seasons.”
That means the Bulldogs will collect a “minimum” of $41 million over four years - a staggering dollar amount. In addition, the City of Jacksonville will pay UGA and UF another $1.5 million each for two years - $6 million total | $3 million per institution - for the two years the Bulldogs play the Gators in Atlanta (2026) and Tampa (2027).
The total paid to UGA total is $44 million over the agreement.
Here is the official release from UGA, UF and Jacksonville regarding the agreement:
ONLY 150 MADE! GET YOURS TODAY
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The City of Jacksonville has agreed to terms with the University of Georgia and University of Florida regarding the annual NCAA football game between the two schools held in Jacksonville, Fla., since 1933.
With this agreement, the Georgia-Florida game will return to Jacksonville during the 2028-2031 college football seasons, once EverBank Stadium has been transformed into the “Stadium of the Future.” In the meantime, the game will be played in Jacksonville in 2024 and 2025 and will move to the neutral sites of Atlanta in 2026 and Tampa in 2027, while EverBank Stadium is under renovation.
“We are honored to extend the time-honored tradition of the Georgia-Florida rivalry game in Jacksonville for four more years. It is the result of many months of close collaboration with our partners at the University of Florida and the University of Georgia,” said Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. “There is shared excitement by all parties for the game to return to Jacksonville in the Stadium of the Future, which will be a world-class stadium that meets NFL standards, starting in 2028. We are grateful that this matchup will continue bringing our communities together to celebrate college football and drive economic impact.”
The new agreement will meet the financial and operational needs of the schools, bring tens of thousands of fans and millions in economic development to Jacksonville and provide the opportunity for the iconic matchup between the Bulldogs and Gators to be profitable for the City.
To that end, we extend our thanks and appreciation to the universities, as well as our key partners in this endeavor – ASM Global, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO), Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD), and Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) – for their support in producing a safe, fun, and exciting event for passionate fans.
“The annual Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville is one of the greatest traditions in college sports, and we are excited the game will return to EverBank Stadium in 2028,” said J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics for the University of Georgia Josh Brooks. “We are fortunate to have a pair of exceptional venues in Atlanta and Tampa that will host the game for the next two years as the Georgia-Florida matchup joins a long line of major events to take place in those two cities, which have hosted both the Super Bowl and the College Football Playoff National Championship. Our goal, as always, is to create a first-class experience for our student-athletes, staff and fans, and this temporary move, along with the stadium renovations in Jacksonville, will only enhance the storied Georgia-Florida rivalry.”
“The Florida-Georgia Game has enjoyed a longstanding and special relationship with the City of Jacksonville, and we are pleased to continue one of college football’s great traditions there in 2028 once the impressive renovations to EverBank Stadium are complete,” said University of Florida Athletics Director Scott Stricklin. “For 2026 and 2027, the chance to continue the neutral site history of the series, while also maximizing revenue opportunities that are so critical during this transformative time in college athletics, make playing games in Atlanta and Tampa incredibly attractive. Both cities are special to Gator fans and offer venues that will provide wonderful experiences for both fans and players.”