JSO says parking lots open Saturday at 8 a.m., suggesting fans should be in their parking spot five hours before the game so they don’t miss kickoff.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida and Georgia fans are rolling in this week as the Gators take on the Bulldogs here at EverBank Stadium.
RV City in downtown Jacksonville opened on Tuesday ahead of the 2025 Florida-Georgia game, with RVS pouring in by adoring fans.
Rusty Thompson, a Gator, is one of many fans who calls RV City a “family reunion.”
“There’s no bigger rivalry than Florida and Georgia, but all week long we get along until about Friday night, and then the script flips,” Thompson said. “This whole row right here, we all met here years ago. It’s just a big family reunion.”
Four-legged fans are also in town, such as Thompson’s bulldog, Alberta.
“She’s a gator dog,” Thompson reassured First Coast News. “A lot of people get her confused, so we put some orange and blue on her; she wants everybody to know where she stands.”
Ahead of the game, Jacksonville city officials want to ensure fans are prepared. Mayor Donna Deegan, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and other agencies gathered on Tuesday to discuss issues from public safety to transportation. JSO says parking lots open Saturday at 8 a.m., suggesting fans arrive and be in their parking spot five hours before the game so they don’t miss kickoff.
As far as football is concerned, this year’s game carries extra significance as it will be the last year it’s played in Jacksonville until 2028 due to construction for the “Stadium of the Future.”
The rivalry will be played in Atlanta in 2026 and Tampa in 2027. Fans like Thompson are confident the game will return.
“it will come back, i firmly believe it will come back,” Thompson said. “But it is hard to believe that we’re going to be away for two years.”
Kickoff will be at 3:30 on ABC 25.