College football fans are getting an absolute banger of a matchup to kick off the 2028 season. On3’s heavy-hitter college football insider Brett McMurphy just broke the news that the Florida State Seminoles football and the Georgia Bulldogs football are officially locked in for a massive neutral-site showdown.

This whole situation came together right after the two powerhouse programs had to scrap their highly anticipated 2027 and 2028 home-and-home series. The folks were originally hyped to see games at Sanford Stadium and Doak Campbell Stadium. But then, behind-the-scenes scheduling adjustments forced the schools to change plans, apparently.

Since the SEC is moving toward a brutal nine-game mandatory conference schedule, it leaves programs like the Georgia Bulldogs football with very little to no breathing room to schedule home-and-away series against elite out-of-conference rivals.

So, shifting to a one-time neutral-site game seems like the only fair and reasonable thing to do. On top of it all, it satisfies the television networks and still gives fans an elite matchup without locking either school into a rigid two-year commitment. Right now, the names of seven Southern cities are being thrown around in the battle to secure the hosting rights for this game. FSU Athletic Director Michael Alford confirmed that Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, Orlando, and Tampa are all actively throwing their hats into the ring.

Nashville remains a highly talked-about contender. The city’s new enclosed stadium is scheduled to open well before the 2028 kickoff. While many consider Tennessee a logical middle ground, city officials and stadium authorities must finalize their formal bids before FSU or Georgia can make a binding decision.

The choice of city will definitely impact which team feels like it has the home-field advantage. If a city like Atlanta is chosen, Georgia fans will probably pack the majority of the stadium. If Florida cities like Orlando, Tampa, or Miami win the hosting rights, the Seminoles will enjoy a big-time geographic advantage with a sea of FSU fans in the stands.

For context, Florida State’s largest alumni clusters sit right in their home state. We are seeing 44,000 alumni in South Florida and another 46,000 in Central Florida ready to buy up tickets.

There is also a ton of bad blood and history fueling this 2028 rematch.

Why this matchup could be the non-conference game of the season

Fans have certainly not forgotten the 2023 Orange Bowl. After a historic playoff snub due to Jordan Travis’s injury, a depleted FSU roster faced a dominant Georgia squad. The Bulldogs delivered a crushing 63-3 defeat. When 2028 arrives, the Seminoles will view this neutral-site clash as a chance for redemption.

The Georgia Bulldogs football were back-to-back national champions and ranked No. 1 all year until they lost a nail-biter by just three points to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC title game. Even with those incredible records, the playoff committee shockingly left both powerhouse teams out of the final four and made them face each other in the Orange Bowl.

With not much at stake, nearly 30 FSU players decided to opt out. Georgia then delivered one of the worst beatings ever handed to an undefeated regular-season team, dominating FSU in a 63-3 blowout. When 2028 rolls around, FSU will definitely be looking to settle the score.