JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As Georgia looks like they are well on their way to another win over Florida on Saturday, there's been debate on whether the game that's almost always been played in Jacksonville could move to each school's on-campus stadiums.
One of college football's greatest traditions, the Georgia-Florida game has been played in Jacksonville since 1933, outside of the '94 and '95 seasons, while they were building TIAA Bank Field -- the stadium that hosts the game now.
In the past few seasons, many people have taken to social media to express their desire for the game to move to each team's on-campus stadium -- meaning in alternating seasons, the game would be played at Sanford Stadium in Athens and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville.
Last year, UGA head coach Kirby Smart was asked about whether he thought the game should be played in Athens and Gainesville versus in Jacksonville. After he joked with the reporter about the game being Georgia-Florida, and not Florida-Georgia, here was his response:
Smart said that he doesn't really care where the game is played, but he wants what is best for the student-athlete and his program.
The most recent agreement kept the rivalry game in Jacksonville through this year's 2023 season, but the teams reached an agreement to keep it in the city through 2025 in June of last year.
"Jacksonville has been the proud home of the Georgia-Florida game since 1933," Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said in 2022. "We are excited to welcome back thousands of Dawgs and Gators to Jacksonville in 2024 and 2025. I want to thank the University of Georgia and University of Florida for their continued faith and investment in our city."
So, for now, the game will be in Jacksonville until 2025. But that leaves the window open for a longstanding tradition to potentially change in the future, and as traction for the movement heats up, maybe we'll get a new tradition Between the Hedges and in The Swamp.