Major SEC football rivalry moves from traditional neutral site in 2026 and 2027

On By Karl

One of college football’s famous neutral-site rivalries is the abandonment of the traditional home stadium.

At least temporarily.

Florida approved Wednesday The annual border matchup with Georgia will not be played in Jacksonville in 2026 and 2027 due to EverBank Stadium renovations, he said.

Traditionally but now unofficially known as the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” the game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in 2026 and at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa in 2027.

After 2027, the series will return to Jacksonville for at least the next few years. Action Network’s Brett McMurphyThe first person to break the news.

There has been increased interest in moving the game to campus venues permanently in recent years for recruiting reasons, but nothing appears imminent.

Since 1926, the series has been played in Jacksonville every year except 1994 and 1995, when games were moved to campus stadiums in Gainesville and Athens.

“We are excited about the opportunity to play in both Atlanta and Tampa,” Gators coach Billy Napier said. “Both are great venues. Both will be well-run operations. We all recognize the revenue this game generates for both athletic departments. This will be unique and we are certainly excited about the opportunity.”

Tampa had previously hosted the game in 1919. Atlanta has never hosted a rivalry game. Georgia leads the series 56-44-2 and has won six of the last seven games.

“It’s been talked about and discussed for a long time, ever since we knew there was going to be a renovation in Jacksonville,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said.

“I think the parties involved have done a great job of managing this, and I think Jacksonville has done a great job of stepping up and making this valuable for both universities, and I’m excited about the opportunity to play in two different places. “This will be unique and maybe we can learn from these two experiences.”

The kickoff time between Florida (4-3) and 2nd Georgia (6-1) is set to be 15.30. The match can be watched on ABC.