Invesco QQQ Sponsors Temporary Move of Florida-Georgia Rivalry

The historic college football rivalry between the University of Florida and the University of Georgia is temporarily relocating to Atlanta, bringing a corporate sponsorship under the name Invesco QQQ Atlanta Gridiron Classic. Traditionally known as The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, the annual matchup is shifting due to ongoing renovations at Jacksonville's EverBank Stadium.

Both universities are set to receive $9 million each for playing the first leg of this two-year road trip at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The payout consists of $7.5 million provided by venue owner AMB Sports and Entertainment alongside $1.5 million from the city of Jacksonville, which is compensating for the reduced capacity at EverBank Stadium during its $1.4 billion renovation project.

The arrangement will continue next year when the matchup moves to Tampa while the Jacksonville stadium remains closed ahead of its planned 2028 reopening. When the game eventually returns to Jacksonville in 2028, both Florida and Georgia will be guaranteed at least $10 million per matchup.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart acknowledged the venue change while emphasizing the significance of the tradition. "This is always a great tradition, a great game," Smart said. "Obviously the venue has changed. I don't think that matters much to the team's playing in it. For the fan base, it's probably a unique experience for sure."

Tickets for the matchup have been split evenly between the two fan bases and are completely sold out. First-year Florida head coach Jon Sumrall described the upcoming environment as a unique challenge. "I think you have to know that Atlanta's not necessarily our backyard," Sumrall said. "But the 50/50 thing is a unique deal that I think is exciting for our guys because you're in a different environment than a normal SEC game, which is fun."

Historically, the only other instances where the Florida-Georgia rivalry was not played in Jacksonville occurred in 1994 and 1995 due to construction on the Jaguars' stadium at the site of the old Gator Bowl, which led the rivals to play on their respective campus sites in Athens and Gainesville. However, financial incentives and the opportunity to utilize prominent neutral-site NFL stadiums shaped the decision for the current temporary relocation.

The corporate branding of the game under Invesco QQQ stems from a partnership between financial firm Invesco and AMBSE. This follows last year's Georgia-Georgia Tech game, which marked the inaugural event of the Atlanta Gridiron Classic series after AMBSE paid the Yellow Jackets $10 million to move their biennial home contest to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.