An empty RV City means Jacksonville businesses feel economic impact after Georgia-Florida game heads to Atlanta
Katherine oversees editorial operations across all six brands. Before joining The Meridan Group, she spent 14 years at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where she led the metro desk through its digital transformation. She holds a Master's in Journalism from Northwestern's Medill School.
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For the first time in more than 30 years, the Georgia-Florida game is not being played in Jacksonville this weekend, and local businesses are already feeling the impact.The annual rivalry game, which generated $45 million in total economic impact last year, including $26 million spent directly by visitors, has moved away for the next two years while EverBank Stadium undergoes construction. The game is in Atlanta this year and Tampa in 2027 before returning to Jacksonville in 2028.The absence is visible outside EverBank Stadium, where RV City, a tailgating tradition tied to the game, sits empty.“It’s not just Mexican restaurants, it’s all the businesses around, bars, everybody’s affected,” said Juan Gomez, manager of Cinco De Mayo restaurant in downtown Jacksonville.Gomez said sales have been down this week, adding that neighboring businesses have reported the same slowdown.“They’re saying this is affecting a lot because they usually start seeing people coming from out of town just for