Neutral territory, a stadium divided in half, electric energy that is like no other, and a game that might as well be the closest thing to SEC Championship atmosphere – this is how you can describe the yearly Florida vs Georgia matchup, which renews on Saturday, November 1 at 3:30 PM at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL. It is one of the longest and oldest-standing, most anticipated rivalry games in college football.
The two schools have been meeting since 1926, but have played in Jacksonville, FL, since 1933, when they agreed to keep the game in neutral territory, except in 1994 and 1995, when the stadium was undergoing renovations. EverBank Stadium is located five hours and 40 minutes away from Georgia’s Sanford Stadium and just an hour and 24 minutes away from Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville.
More than a football game, this rivalry has become the ultimate sports fan experience week. It all starts in RV city, which opens in Lot E on the Tuesday prior to the game. Fans of both Florida and Georgia set up shop surrounded by each other, and thus, the trash talking, and “Florida-Georgia hate week ensues.” It’s a fun time for Gator and Bulldog fans alike to banter and trash-talk each other before the two teams duke it out on the field on Saturday.
World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is Saturday
Becoming a one-of-a-kind game experience, Florida vs Georgia has its own exclusive hall of fame. Some names already enshrined are the great Steve Spurrier, Tim Tebow, Vince Dooley, and Herschel Walker. On Friday, October 31, 2025, Brandon James, Todd Johnson, Freddie Gilbert, and Sony Michel will join the list of the elite.
Also on Friday is the yearly Florida vs Jacksonville University baseball game. That game will take place at VyStar Ballpark at 6:30PM Friday.
Then comes the Saturday tailgate. The country music will blare, the trash talk will continue, and fans will gear up at “the World’s Largest Cocktail Party” for what is the biggest game on their schedule. More than a tailgate, it’s known as the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” for being just that, a big party in the parking lot of EverBank Stadium. There is truly nothing like a Florida vs Georgia tailgate. And it can’t be explained without experiencing it in person.
Then come the gates opening and game time. The “home team,” which is Florida for this year’s matchup, will be on the West side of the stadium while the “visiting” Bulldogs will be on the East side. Each year, the teams flip/flop home and away, and in 2025, Florida is the home team. This game is unique in that even though it’s neutral territory, you will clearly see the divide between the orange and blue, and the black and red. Divided right at the 50-yard line, the fans will (mostly) be on opposite sides of the field to help create the atmosphere that makes the Florida vs Georgia game special.
Don’t plan to sit down if you’re going to this game, because sitting isn’t an option. It’s a stand-the-whole time kind of a game, one in which there will be plenty of penalties on the field and create high tensions off the field in the stands.
On Saturday, all eyes will be on Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL. 70,000 fans will gather in hopes of their team coming out on top, in our case, we hope the Gators eat some Dawgs for dinner.
After this year, the game will be moved to Mercedes-Benz Stadium (2026) and Raymond James Stadium (2027) until 2028, when the Everbank Stadium Renovations are done and the newly renovated “Stadium of the Future” opens in Jacksonville.
Florida has not beat Georgia since 2020. They will try to reverse that on Saturday.