In May, Georgia and Florida announced that their football rivalry will extend its stay in Jacksonville, Florida, through the 2025 season.
Jacksonville is planning to renovate its stadium in the near future, as previously mentioned by outgoing mayor Lenny Curry last month. The proposed changes would necessitate the relocation of the Georgia-Florida game to an alternate venue for both the 20206 and 2027 seasons.
However, if we take a look at the captivating renderings of the project, it becomes clear that the efforts will be well worth it. The Jacksonville Jaguars recently shared a video on YouTube and stunning photos on Twitter, giving us a glimpse into the promising future of TIAA Bank Field.
Views 👀#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/RqOAwArKl2
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) June 7, 2023
The Jaguars have not revealed the cost of the proposed renovations, but estimations have suggested it could exceed $1 billion.
According to Jaguars Wire, there’s still plenty of work that needs to be done behind-the-scenes before these renderings can become a reality.
Ultimately, there are still major hurdles for the Jaguars to clear before their envisioned stadium of the future becomes a reality. The team will need to negotiate the terms of the project with the City of Jacksonville and its newly elected mayor Donna Deegan, who is set to take office in July.
Then the Jaguars will need to garner public support for a vote on the usage of taxpayer money on the renovation — however much that ends up being. The team will also need the support of NFL owners, who will need to approve the project.
Despite Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s preference for a home-and-home series format, the rivalry will persist as a neutral-site game for the next three seasons, ensuring the excitement and tradition of the matchup remain intact.
Smart reiterated his desire for a home-and-home series last month.
“I firmly believe that we’ll be able to sign better players by having it as a home-and-home because we’ll have more opportunities to get them to campus.
But, I also think there’s a financial factor that factors into that, with having the game there, and being able to make more money for the university, possibly, there. You have to weigh both those and make really good decisions.”
Each year since 1933, except for 1994 and 1995 when the old Gator Bowl was being renovated, Georgia and Florida have met in Jacksonville. The game was christened “the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” in the early 1950s by Bill Kastelz, sports editor for the Florida Times-Union.
The series dates back to 1904, but Florida doesn’t count that first game, as it occurred before the modern establishment of the university by the Florida legislature in 1905. The first game was played in Macon between Georgia and the Florida Agriculture College, one of four predecessor colleges of Florida, based in Lake City.
Georgia leads the all-time series against Florida 54-44-2. The 2023 matchup will take place on Oct. 28 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Per FanDuel, Georgia is a 20.5 point favorite to beat the Gators.
In 2018, Curry stated that economic impact on the city of Jacksonville topped $30m by hosting the Georgia vs. Florida game.
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