Georgia-Florida Lands in Atlanta for $7.5 Million Each as Jacksonville Renovations Disrupt Rivalry
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 31
Georgia-Florida Lands in Atlanta for $7.5 Million Each as Jacksonville Renovations Disrupt Rivalry
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 31
Summary
$7.5 million per school from Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment drove Georgia and Florida to play this year's rivalry game at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium instead of Jacksonville.
EverBank Stadium renovations forced the series out of its usual home for two years, but a home-and-home in Athens and Gainesville was rejected because neutral-site revenue and ticket splits are richer.
29,071 tickets were allotted to each school in Atlanta, preserving the rivalry's split-crowd look; on-campus SEC games typically give visiting teams only about 4,500 to 6,000 seats.
Fans interviewed in Atlanta said the move sacrifices Jacksonville's tailgating tradition, even as the game is set to return to Florida after the temporary relocation.
The shift also points to a broader college-football trend: with a 24-team CFP coming next season, cities and bowl operators are chasing more neutral-site inventory and season-opening matchups.