Kirby Smart says ‘money’ drove decision to keep Georgia–Florida at neutral sites ...Middle East

Kirby Smart shed some light on why the Georgia-Florida rivalry will continue to be played at neutral sites in 2026 and 2027 despite stadium renovations in Jacksonville.

With EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville set to undergo a lengthy renovation process, Georgia and Florida will take their rivalry elsewhere for 2 seasons. In 2026, the Bulldogs and Gators will meet in Atlanta. The game will then be moved to Tampa for 2027 before returning to Jacksonville in 2028.

Smart was asked whether he had any role in the decision to keep the Georgia-Florida game as a neutral-site contest during this construction period rather shift to a home-and-home series. He indicated it was a financial decision made by the athletic directors at both universities.

“That was an AD decision,” Kirby Smart said on SiriusXM Radio this week. “It ultimately came based on money and, you know, [Atlanta] and Tampa both ponied up and made really good financial offers.”

Here’s a clip from Smart’s comments:

“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

Georgia has dominated this rivalry in recent years. The Bulldogs have won 4 games in a row in this series and 7 of the last 8 meetings overall. Florida’s only win in that time span was back in 2020, with the Gators prevailing 44-28.

The Georgia-Florida rivalry has been played annually in Jacksonville since 1995. The series was played on campus sites in 1994 and 1995, but was also contested in Jacksonville from 1933 through 1993. Georgia is 56-44-2 all-time against the Gators.

This year’s game is scheduled for Nov. 1.

Kirby Smart says ‘money’ drove decision to keep Georgia–Florida at neutral sites Saturday Down South.

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