Those hoping the annual Georgia-Florida match-up would be moved to campus stadiums will have to wait at least another eight years for that possibility.

A six-year extension to the current contract was approved unanimously by the University of Georgia Athletic Association Board of Directors on Wednesday. Though the contract is not signed yet by both parties, it is almost certain that this decision will be final.

The current contract will end at the close of next season’s game. There has been talk of moving the game to each college’s campus on a rotating basis, or moving the game to the Georgia Dome biannually. But University President Michael Adams and Athletic Director Damon?

Evans are pleased with the way that the city of Jacksonville is handling the event every year.

Evans also expressed his opinion on fan’s concern that the game is heavily in favor of the Gators because of its location and the proximity to Gainesville, Fla.

“I’m not a believer that we don’t win a game because it’s down in Florida,” Evans said. “The game is played on 120 yards of field, and it doesn’t matter where you play it.”

To alleviate costs on both the Georgia and Florida Athletic programs, the city of Jacksonville will be paying for team transportations, which in the end, could benefit the Bulldogs.

Instead of taking a bus to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Jacksonville will pay for three private flights out of Athens – directly to Jacksonville – it will state in the contract.

“The city of Jacksonville is looking to take care of travel more, and making it easier,” Adams said. “It will actually be faster for [UGA] by flight, than for Florida by bus.”

There are other factors to the new contract that were not discussed, such as a new way concessions will be split, but according to Adams, 75 years of the game being in Jacksonville was what weighed into his final decision the most.

“We just decided that the traditions and the strengths of this is such that, this is the direction that we wanted to go,” he said. “I would characterize it that we looked at several other alternatives, but we kept coming back to [the game being in Jacksonville.]”

Added Evans: “This is one of the top 10 rivalries in all of college. Only one game is guaranteed to be on CBS at 3:30 every year, and that is the Georgia-Florida game.”

Also approved by the board was $1.2 million worth of improvements to Stegeman Coliseum, as well as another $700,000 going toward renovating all of the Reed Alley part of Sanford Stadium to make extra room for fans going to the restroom and getting concessions.

Reed Alley will be a place that will also be used by students during the week, as a big screen TV will be set up for students to lounge and enjoy.

The project is expected to begin after the season is over and be in place for next season.

As for the improvements to Stegeman, there will be a glass fa�ade that will modernize the entrance to the coliseum and take up most of the “hat bill” that hangs over the main concourse entrance today.

Adams and Evans are thinking that it will also help a new coaching staff bring in the recruits they need and build a successful basketball program.

“It is the one part of the athletic program where we have been sub-par,” Adams said of improving the basketball program.

“I think this will be one more strong statement that we are supporting a strong basketball program.”