Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart gave an honest opinion on the future location changes to the Georgia-Florida rivalry. Smart and the No. 2 ranked Bulldogs are set to face embattled coach Billy Napier and the Gators on Saturday in the rivalry's 103rd meeting.

Since 1996, the “World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” has been played at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL. But with the renovations that the Jaguars' venue is set to undergo in 2026, the rivalry game will kick off in Atlanta in 2026 and then Tampa Bay in 2027, before coming back to Jacksonville. Smart's take on the entire situation was eye-opening.

“For a while, we’ve known the Jacksonville renovation was going to occur. I think the parties involved did a great job of managing it…I’m excited about the opportunity to play at two different locations, so that’ll be unique. Maybe we'll learn from those two experiences,” said Smart, according to DawgNation Staff reporter Connor Riley.

Georgia football is primed to return to the CFP

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart and Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier talk before the game at mid field at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday, October 29, 2022.
Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun

These comments from the Bulldogs' head coach are very bullish on the venue changes to a rivalry that has been played in the same location for 27 years. Which makes sense cause the trip for Smart and his team to Mercedes Benz Stadium will be a much shorter bus ride from Athens, Georgia compared to the over 300 mile trek to Jacksonville.

Tampa Bay, on the other hand, is a lot closer to Gainesville, Florida than the Bulldogs' home campus. Overall, it'll be interesting if the new stadiums hosting this game will have the usual red-and-black, orange-and-blue split that has present at EverBank for so long.

No matter the location, Georgia football will most likely be heavily favored over Florida for the foreseeable future, as they are on Saturday. The Bulldogs are coming off a stellar road win against then-No. 1 Texas and now only trail Oregon in the rankings.

Still, with upcoming games against Florida, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, the schedule doesn't get any easier for Kirby Smart and company. And another loss could cost Georgia a chance at the SEC Championship game as they currently are second in the conference standings to Texas A&M.

Tied with the Bulldogs in-conference are the now-No. 6 Longhorns, No. 7 Volunteers, and No. 16 LSU Tigers. Despite this tight race, Kirby Smart and Georgia football continue to be positive about the team's form, even with the recent struggles of star quarterback Carson Beck.

But Georgia will need Beck to play a lot better to win their fifth national championship. The senior has thrown five interceptions over the past two games. Playing well against a heated rival in Florida would be a great way for the preseason Heisman contender to bounce back from this rough stretch.