'Cocktail Party' headed to Atlanta in 2026 and Tampa in 2027 while EverBank gets a makeover

Updated Oct. 30, 2024 7:23 p.m. ET

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The annual Florida-Georgia rivalry will take a break from its traditional home and be played at NFL venues while EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville is undergoing a $1.4 billion renovation.

The game will relocate to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in 2026 and to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, the following year. The game is expected to return to Jacksonville beginning in 2028 on a multiyear contract.

Action Network first reported the deal, which Florida coach Billy Napier later confirmed.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to play in both Atlanta and Tampa, both great venues, both will be well run operations," Napier said. "I think we all understand the revenue that this game generates for both athletic departments, so it’s going to be unique, and certainly we’re excited about that opportunity.”

The Southeastern Conference rivals chose to bid out “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” instead of playing at campus sites for financial reasons; they can make more money playing in neutral-site venues.

Atlanta was the obvious choice for Georgia's home game in 2006, while Orlando, Miami and Tampa bid on Florida's home game in 2027.

The schools have played annually in Jacksonville since 1933, with a two-year hiatus while the Gator Bowl was being renovated before the Jaguars’ inaugural season. The “Cocktail Party” moved to Gainesville in 1994 and Athens, Georgia, the following year.

Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart has been outspoken about wanting to move the game back to campuses for recruiting purposes; NCAA rules prohibit coaches from having contact with recruits at neutral sites, although the home team can leave tickets for them.

But Smart has relented in the past year.

“It’s been talked about and debated for a long time since we know the Jacksonville renovation was going to occur,” Smart said Wednesday. "The parties involved did a great job managing it. Jacksonville did a great job stepping up and making it worthwhile for both universities and excited about the opportunity to play at two different locations.

“So that’ll be unique and maybe we learn from those two experiences.”

The payout from Jacksonville is expected to jump significantly from its current deal, which is roughly $3 million for each school and includes $1.5 million guaranteed plus a split of ticket revenue and concession sales.

Georgia also receives $350,000 annually to cover its charter flights, buses and lodging while Florida receives $60,000 because no flights are required.

A Florida home game, by comparison, generates between $2 million and $5 million depending on the opponent. So a home-and-home series would bring in less revenue over a two-year span than a neutral-site game.

“Kirby and I probably both agree that it’d be awesome to play home and home, but we also know that there’s a tremendous amount of revenue created by having this game in a neutral site,” Napier said. "So money makes the world go around, and certainly the amount of revenue, there’s a significant difference in the revenue that’s generated.

"We play in Jacksonville, there is a historical context to that, but there’s also a revenue component as well. I think the neutral site will present those same revenue opportunities, and that’s ultimately why the decision was made.”

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