The Future Of Florida-Georgia

From a Gator fan's family who has attended the game in Jax for nearly 90 years, hope springs eternal that the new stadium could make this rivalry even better.

By DAN BOND, special correspondent

GatorBaitMedia.com

Will Jacksonville Florida lose the Florida-Georgia football series? This is a reality I've been concerned with ever since Kirby Smart started rocking the boat a few years ago. The discussion has come up in the past but mostly felt like a negotiation tactic with the city to get some extra cash.

Smart’s $10M-plus a year salary and back-to-back national championships carry a lot of weight with the Bulldog faithful. Throwing in the Texas and Oklahoma announcing in 2021 they would join the SEC in 2025 for football, now 2024. Surely a shakeup in scheduling was on the horizon.

This year is the 90th anniversary of Florida-Georgia being played in Jacksonville every year (Except 1994 and 1995 for stadium construction). My family is from the Jacksonville area and I have family in Savannah, GA so this was always a huge weekend in my life. I've personally been to 39 of these games. Including with with my parents' attendance and it's at least 60 of the 90. Regular season, neutral site games are rare these days. Texas and Oklahoma play in Dallas at the old Cotton Bowl, where I live now. There is never any discussion about moving or losing that annual rivalry game here locally. Perish the thought!

The City of Jacksonville and the Jaguars just announced on June 7 a whole new venue that will incorporate the waterfront, the stadium and the surrounding downtown area. Price estimates for the stadium $1.9 to $2.1 billion. The new sports district surrounding it between $550 and $668M.

Jaguar owner Shad Khan is quoted as saying:

“This is also all happening at a fantastic time for everyone. Jacksonville is red hot. Just check out all the recent rankings- best places to live, best housing market, hottest job market, best place to start a business, jacksonville ranks within the top five in all those lists.”

The updated stadium has a SoFi/Los Angeles look. The area surrounding it reminds me of Texas Live! Entertainment district next to the Rangers Globe Life Park and AT&T stadium, home of the Cowboys. There's a dozen restaurants under one roof where you can go and watch the big game in the Live! Arena. Imagine the largest wall of TV's that can play one game on the whole wall or break up to multiple games, it's something to experience.

There are hotels, convention space and shopping. It’s a year-round destination bringing visitors and billions in revenue forecasted over the years. Throw in the waterfront in Jacksonville and the possibilities there. There's nothing like going to Knoxville and checking out the “Vol Navy” on a game weekend. This could be like that but much bigger.

With this huge upgrade for the Jaguars, I immediately thought the Florida-Georgia series might be presevered. We are witnessing and living through the biggest change in college athletics, especially football. Definitely in my lifetime. NIL, transfer portal and new rule changes.

Are we throwing the baby out with the bathwater? Hopefully not. The Bulldog fans and friends I see in Jacksonville every year don't want the game moved. The Florida fans I know don't want it moved either. If “The powers that be” want to end a fabulous tradition because they lost out on a five-star recruit that weekend or nonsense travel issues maybe they will do it for the mighty dollar.

This new concept will change that weekend for the better. Florida and Georgia will profit from it. The new stadium is coming. The Bears, Bills and Titans all have new stadiums on the way, not to mention the several that have opened the last few years. Even the University of South Florida has finally decided on an on campus stadium for $340M

.

We found out this week about the 2024 SEC conference opponents. With Florida versus Georgia under contract until 2025, I'm feeling positive about this series surviving in Jacksonville. In a stadium that will be the crown jewel in the state of Florida.

I'm just hoping the wisdom of common sense about what's best for all wins out over greed.