Do you know what’s keeping Billy Napier awake at night? “How we acquire talent is directly affected by this settlement. We have shared the NIL space and how that’s going to be evaluated by Deloitte.” Yep, Napier said that—and it’s a real issue. Florida’s been in a funk. Inconsistent seasons, no playoff appearances, and a program still trying to find its footing. But as if that wasn’t enough, something else is likely to add to his insomnia. Napier’s gearing up to face off with none other than Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs again. Sure, the Gators could score a $10 million payday if the chips fall right, but that money might not ease the stress. At least there’s one silver lining—QB DJ Lagway is making steady progress in recovery.

According to the USA Today Network, the Florida-Georgia showdown is the SEC’s fourth-most heated rivalry. This matchup has delivered some legendary moments: Larry Munson’s “Run Lindsay Run!” call in 1980, Georgia’s 2007 “Gator Stomp,” and Tim Tebow breaking Herschel Walker’s rushing record in 2009. It was once so wild they called it the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” But honestly, right now, Napier might rather skip the invite. Since 2017, it’s been Bulldog domination. Georgia has won seven of the last eight matchups, and the last three by at least 22 points. So, Napier might wonder why face another blowout, but a hefty fortune could be reeled in.

The Georgia-Florida rivalry will take place in Jacksonville in 2025, but in 2026, both teams will travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald earlier reported that Georgia and Florida will each be earning $7.5 million to play at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Here comes a new update about the money that Napier will be handed.

On the May 27th episode of That SEC Football podcast, co-host Cousin Shane shared his take. “If I’m not mistaken, I think Georgia was making about $2 million for every home game…But obviously they’d make none on away games. But collectively they were making $3 million at in Jacksonville. So it’s simple math you’re saying, ‘Okay, I could take two every other year; I could get 1.5 every year.’” In that way, the Florida-Georgia game is not going to go anywhere. 

The money will be sent from AMB Sports & Entertainment, the company owned by Arthur Blank that owns and operates the Atlanta Falcons. And here comes some good news for Napier and co., as a glistening check awaits him at the end of the tunnel. “I think it’s way more than that. I think when they play in Jacksonville, each team gets like 7 million. So, 14 million collectively. So the stadium in Jacksonville is being renovated, right? They’re going to play one or two in Atlanta, and the Falcons are going to give them each, I think, $10 million.”

The Georgia-Florida game will temporarily call Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta home for the next two years, while the Jacksonville Jaguars and city of Jacksonville undertake a $1.4 billion renovation of EverBank Stadium. Their mission is to turn it into a “Stadium of the Future.” It is going to continue till 2027. So in 2026, Napier will be able to cash in $10 million. While the head coach gets a big monetary update, he drops some news about his quarterback, DJ Lagway.

Billy Napier keeps it real with DJ Lagway’s progress 

“Important to note, DJ Lagway did not throw during Florida’s scrimmage today, Billy Napier added after saying he took some snaps. Lagway is expected to ‘do the same things he’s been doing in practice every day’ in the spring game. Those things haven’t included throwing.” This update came on April 1. What was the reason behind Napier’s quarterback’s limited action? The QB was recovering from lingering shoulder and lower body injuries.

A good deal of the Gators’ hope for success this season rests on Lagway’s right shoulder. And here came Napier with a big update….

During the SEC Spring Meetings, the head coach informed that Lagway is making baby steps on the field. Lagway was spotted throwing on Tuesday, May 27th, but it wasn’t just a one-day appearance. Napier’s quarterback is keeping himself busy with daily practice, making 210 passes a week (not counting warmups). The head coach shared, “We’re doing exactly what we would do this time of year that we’ve done in the past. So he’s on schedule.”

Well, the fans and analysts alike are worrying whether DJ Lagway is 100% healthy now. Instead of false hope, Billy Napier updated everyone with what was the need of the hour. “I don’t know if we put a percentage on it right now, but he’s where he needs to be to continue to progress.”

If the quarterback must be looking for some big motivation to make a stronger comeback, he should look at himself in the mirror. After all, Billy Napier’s QB is the nation’s only quarterback with five 40-yard completions in a game, doing it against both Samford and Kentucky. At last, the Gator Nation has something to smile about.