ATHENS — The Georgia-Florida game is at the front of Kirby Smart’s mind. He knows that Georgia’s future schedule now features a date with No. 3 Tennessee.

But he’s not at all worried about whether his team is looking ahead. He knows the history of this rivalry and all the twists and turns that come with it.

“This is the Georgia-Florida matchup,” Smart said. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. I might understand if it was a non-conference or an FCS opponent, but that’s not going to be the case on Florida.”

Smart played in this rivalry when he himself was a Bulldog. He’s now served as the head coach in this game for six years, going 4-2 against the Gators in Jacksonville, Fla.

How much longer the game remains in Jacksonville is a question, with the contract currently set to expire after the 2023 matchup.

Smart in the past has made it clear that he wants the benefits of the extra home game every other season, due in large part to the recruiting opportunities.

But he also understands the financial aspect of it as well, with all the money the school gets from Jacksonville and splitting gate revenue with Florida.

“When it comes down to it, there’s a very, very basic element of everything comes back to, number one money and number two, recruiting and getting good players,” Smart said. “I firmly believe that we’ll be able to sign better players by having it as a home-and-home because we’ll have more opportunities to get them to campus.”

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