The annual Florida-Georgia football game will return to Jacksonville for four years beginning in 2028 after the scheduled completion of renovations to EverBank Stadium, the city announced Nov. 1.
The city said in a news release it agreed to terms with the universities of Florida and Georgia to keep the game in Jacksonville, where it is being played this year and in 2025 as the stadium project gets underway. The game will be played in Atlanta in 2026 and Tampa in 2027.
Under terms in a memorandum of understanding, the city would pay the teams $1.5 million each per year during the 2026 and 2027 seasons, for a total of $3 million per team. Other terms applying to those years involve promotion of the game and the city presenting the Hall of Fame Luncheon and induction ceremony at each alternate site.
In 2028 and 2029, the city will guarantee each school a minimum of $10 million, with that figure rising to $10.5 million for the 2030 and 2031 games.
The city will provide Georgia with a $350,000 travel stipend and Florida with a $60,000 stipend.
Each school will purchase 25,000 to 30,000 tickets per game. Ticket prices must average a minimum of $250, or the average ticket price of the 2026 and 2027 games, whichever is greater. The city will manage ticket inventory, pricing and distribution.
The city will pay for stadium staffing and security, but in a change from previous years, all revenue from sponsorships, concessions and parking will go to the city. The schools will pay for team and conference expenses, such as compensation for game officials and sideline personnel.
The release said the agreement would “meet the financial and operational needs of the schools, bring tens of thousands of fans and millions in economic development to Jacksonville” and “provide an opportunity” for the game “to be profitable for the city.”
“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,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said the release.
The game has been played in Jacksonville all but three years since 1933. The exceptions were in 1943 and for two years beginning in 1994, when EverBank Stadium was under construction.
The current agreement between the city and schools was set to expire after the 2025 game, prompting speculation that the schools could decide to change venues.
For the universities, the advantages of playing in Jacksonville after the stadium’s completion include receiving multimillion-dollar payouts and a split of ticket revenue, competing in a new stadium and saving the costs of providing security and game operations over a home game.
But Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and others raised concerns about the effects of a neutral game on recruiting for the high-profile football programs, and some Georgia fans said they would prefer not to travel.
Kickoff for this year’s game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Nov. 2. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 2, and Florida is unranked.
Last year’s game drew more than 76,000 fans.
In October, the NFL owners group unanimously approved the Jaguars’ $1.4 billion stadium agreement with the city, clearing the way for construction. The Jacksonville City Council approved the deal in June.
Under the agreement, the city and team will each contribute $625 million, with the city adding $150 million for deferred maintenance.
The renovated stadium’s new features will include a shade cover protecting all seating areas from direct sunlight and rain, an open-air design that will allow for cross-ventilation through openings at the corners, observation decks offering views of the St. Johns River and Downtown skyline, new concessions and beverage options, an increased number of bathrooms and an artificial playing surface.
This story has been updated with terms of the agreement