8 Things Georgia Fans Should Know Before the Florida Game Comes to Atlanta

Bulldogs and Gators fans usually know the drill for Georgia-Florida weekend, but this year the drill changes.

A new city means new rules, and a few of them can trip up even longtime fans.

Here’s what Georgia and Florida fans should sort out before kickoff.

1. EverBank Stadium Renovations

Jacksonville’s EverBank Stadium is undergoing renovations, News4JAX reports, and that is why the Georgia-Florida game is in Atlanta this year.

A 2024 report from Fox 5 Atlanta put the cost of that work at $1.4 billion.

That’s a lot of stadium.

If you’ve made the trip to Jacksonville before, your route this year ends at Mercedes-Benz Stadium instead.

2. A One-Year Stop

If you want to watch the Bulldogs and Gators in Atlanta, this is your year.

What about next year?

News4JAX lists Tampa as the 2027 site, with the game returning to Jacksonville for 2028 and 2029, which leaves 2026 as Atlanta’s only year through 2029.

3. When the Game Last Left Jacksonville

If you’re going to Atlanta, you’re going to the first Georgia-Florida game outside Jacksonville in 31 years, according to Florida’s athletics site.

Fox 5 Atlanta puts that exit in 1994 and 1995, first Gainesville, then Athens.

CBS Sports says the teams played on campus while the stadium then known as the Gator Bowl was renovated for the NFL’s expansion into Jacksonville.

The Gators won both, taking the 1994 game 52-14 at The Swamp and the 1995 game 52-17 in Athens, their first visit there in 63 years.

4. Halloween Kickoff and Mask Rules

The Georgia athletics schedule has the game kicking off at 3:30 p.m. on Halloween, Oct. 31.

If your costume includes a mask, know that Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s fan guidelines allow masks related to health provisions but not other masks that cover or conceal identity.

Plan your costume around that.

5. Mobile Tickets and Card Payment

The game is listed as the Atlanta Gridiron Classic and showed as sold out on Oct. 6.

Once you have a ticket, you’ll need it on your phone: Mercedes-Benz Stadium requires a mobile ticket for entry, according to its A-to-Z guide.

Charge your phone first.

You can’t exit and re-enter on the same ticket, so settle what you’re carrying before you scan in.

The stadium takes card and mobile payment only.

If you only have cash, kiosks outside Sections 101 and 122 turn it into a prepaid debit card good anywhere Visa is accepted.

6. Georgia-Florida Hall of Fame Ceremony

The Georgia-Florida Hall of Fame inducts its 2026 class in Atlanta at noon on Friday, Oct. 30, according to News4JAX.

That's the day before kickoff.

If you're in Atlanta that day, the ceremony is at the College Football Hall of Fame, 250 Marietta St. NW.

The class includes two former Bulldogs, Andre Hastings and Brandon Boykin, and two former Gators, Emmitt Smith and Maurkice Pouncey.

As of Sept. 29, individual tickets and tables were available through the Georgia-Florida Hall of Fame website, so check there if you want a seat.

7. Clear-Bag Rules

Bags at the Georgia-Florida game have to be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and no bigger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches, according to Mercedes-Benz Stadium's A-to-Z guide.

Logos get one side.

You can also carry a small non-clear bag, up to 4.5 by 6.5 inches, along with a clear plastic bag. A larger non-clear bag isn't permitted.

8. Parking and MARTA

Mercedes-Benz Stadium sells parking through the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United and Mercedes-Benz Stadium apps and at parking.mercedesbenzstadium.com, according to its A-to-Z guide.

After you buy a spot, enter the address you were given into the Waze app for the most efficient route.

If you'd rather skip the parking lot, a pedestrian bridge near Gate 1 leads to the Vine City station on MARTA, Atlanta's transit system.

Tailgaters, take note.

The stadium's Family Tailgate Lot bans alcohol and requires a parking pass for entry.

Home-and-Home Debate

If you've wanted the Georgia-Florida game on a campus, you've had company: CBS Sports reported in October 2024 that Georgia coach Kirby Smart had expressed interest in campus venues.

A neutral-site opener, like Georgia's 2024 game against Clemson, leaves the Bulldogs just six home games, which reduces their chances to host recruits.

There was a catch.

Then-Gators coach Billy Napier said he and Smart probably both agreed a home-and-home would be awesome, but pointed to a significant revenue difference.

Fox 5 Atlanta put numbers on it in 2024: the Jacksonville deal then in place was worth roughly $3 million to each school.

That included $1.5 million guaranteed plus a split of ticket revenue and concession sales.

Sensory Room and Water Bottles

Mercedes-Benz Stadium has a sensory room for fans who feel overstimulated, set up with KultureCity, according to its A-to-Z guide.

You can lease a sensory kit with noise-reducing headphones at a Guest Services Center in exchange for a valid government-issued ID.

The lease is free.

You can also bring one factory-sealed, non-frozen 500 mL bottle of water, though the stadium's general rule bars outside food and drink.

Gators in Atlanta

If you're counting Gators games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Florida's athletics site says the last was the 2020 SEC Championship Game, a 52-46 loss to Alabama.

Before that, the only Gators game there was the 2018 Peach Bowl, a 41-15 win over Michigan.