Josh Brooks on the future of the Georgia-Florida game

GREENSBORO – Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks told reporters at the UGA Athletic Association Board meeting that discussions with Florida regarding the locations for the schools' football games in 2026 and 2027 continue.

Both schools must find another place to play while EverBank Stadium undergoes a $1.4 billion renovation project that is expected to take two years to complete.

The current contract is in the final year of a deal that keeps the game in Jacksonville through the 2025 campaign.

“For the immediate, we’ve got to look at other options. Whether that’s home and home, whether it’s neutral sites, that’s something we’re working with Florida to look at options for those two years,” Brooks said. “Beyond that, excited. Once that construction is complete, we’re excited to go back there and see the potential and opportunities to make it a really special game for what they’re talking about doing. It looks like it’s going to be a really amazing project.”

The proposed renovation of the current stadium would include a shaded canopy the Jaguars say will reduce the heat factor by 70 percent.

Brooks said the city of Jacksonville is not involved in helping the two schools determine sites for 2026 and 2027.

The Jaguars will still play the 2026 season in EverBank Stadium with a reduced capacity of 43,500 team president Mark Lamping said recently. With over 70,000 attending the annual Georgia-Florida game, that wasn't going to work, thus requiring the Bulldogs and Gators to find a new home for two years.

Neutral sites possibilities for the game include Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

"This is something, and Florida and Georgia, we lead that on our own,” Brooks said. “We’ll talk to them about what’s available, but it’s something, we drive that ship.”