TIAA Bank Field renovation could affect Georgia-Florida game

Georgia fans wanting to see the annual Georgia-Florida game move to a home-and-home scenario may get their wish - at least for two years.

Wednesday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry told radio station 1010XL that due to renovations at TIAA Bank Field, the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars are exploring different venues to play their games elsewhere in 2025 and 2026.

As a result, the annual Georgia-Florida game in the city would also be affected.

When reached for comment, Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks had the following to say.

“We look forward to having conversations with the appropriate City of Jacksonville officials which will provide more information on the scope of construction, the timeline of the project, and how it would impact the future of our game vs. Florida," Brooks said in an email to UGASports.

Per Curry, the annual Georgia-Florida game could be played outside Jacksonville with each school taking a turn hosting the game.

The last time Georgia and Florida did not play in Jacksonville was in 1994 and 1995, the last time the stadium in Jacksonville underwent major renovations.

Florida won both those contests, capturing the 1994 game 52-33, before rolling 52-17 in 1995.

The current contract with Jacksonville between Georgia and Florida is set to end after the game this Oct. 28. The two parties do have a two-year option that runs through 2025, although it’s yet to be exercised.

Part of the reason for that is due to the fact the SEC has not decided what to do with its 2024 schedule to accommodate the addition of Texas and Oklahoma into the SEC, starting in the fall of 2024.

The 2024 schedule is slated to be the hot-button topic at the annual SEC meetings in Destin, Fla. at the end of the month. The league is expected to go to one division, with either an eight- or nine-game SEC slate.