Bless their hearts. The Georgia-Florida State home-and-home series scheduled for 2027 and 2028 has been canceled. Florida State released a statement on Thursday afternoon.
“As we considered the effects of evolving scheduling mandates with both the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference, we have mutually agreed that it is in the best interest of both schools to cancel our home-and-home series schedule for 2027 and 2028.’ FSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford said, ‘We are now discussing playing a neutral-site contest, and we are optimistic we will get that done. Importantly, this change will not reduce the total home games on our schedule moving forward.'”
Let’s end this opening, as we started this op-ed. Bless their hearts. We have other stronger language we wanted to use to express our frustration with this decision. But we (read our editors) thought better of it. For those who may not be down with the “Bless your heart” lingo, let’s give you a quick lesson.
The phrase is often used to soften the blow of a judgmental observation. In this context, it functions as a verbal “get out of jail free” card—essentially allowing the speaker to say something critical while maintaining the appearance of being a “good person.”
So in this case, Georgia and Florida State are incredibly dim-witted in this reason, I (almost) feel sorry for them.
Georgia-Florida State Series Canceled
The SEC 9-Game Schedule Strikes Again
The Georgia-Florida State home-and-home series is just the latest casualty of the SEC’s decision to move to a nine-game conference schedule. To date, Georgia has canceled a home-and-home series with UCLA in 2025 and 2026, another series with Louisville slated for 2026 and 2027, and a final series with NC State slated for 2033 and 2034.
Georgia still has home-and-home series on the books with Ohio State in 2030 and 2031 and Clemson in 2029, 2030, 2032, and 2033. It is only a matter of time before we read another obtuse press release canceling more of these matchups.
Why the reason for change? The statement said it all. The calculus of scheduling is quickly evolving across college football’s landscape. The Playoff Committee has shown time and again that it’s not so much WHO you win against as it is that you stack wins. Look at the 2025 national champion, Indiana. They haven’t sniffed a P4 team outside of B1G play and done just fine. Texas lost a great Week 1 game to Ohio State in Columbus and finished the season 9-3, not good enough. We’re sure that if they scheduled Our Sisters of the Poor Directional State University, they would have been in the playoffs at 10-2.
The SEC’s new nine-game schedule and the requirement that teams play an additional P4 team have put many of these games on ice. Georgia already plays the North Avenue Technical College every year. I guess it’s asking too much to skip out on FCS cupcake directional university as I re-up my seat license for next season.
These types of decisions leave us asking, ‘Where is Don Draper when we need him?’ Maybe, he could talk some sense into schools like Georgia and Florida State.
Enough Neutral Site Games!
We have railed on it time and again. Neutral games are terrible and bland. Georgia fans already have to battle Florida Man and a sea of Jorts in Jacksonville when they take on Florida in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. A second neutral site game is just a loss for fans, even if we get a token win on the scoreboard.
Let’s look at the non-conference slate for 2026. Tennessee State (shrug), Western Kentucky (yawn), and of course the Wramblin’ Wreck. Even the Clean Old Fashioned Hate was moved to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta this year. That game should be played at Bobby Dodd and Between the Hedges. What are we doing, Josh Brooks? All I have to say is “bless your heart” for these awful scheduling decisions. Georgia football deserves more and does its fans.
Georgia-Florida State History
- Series lead: Georgia leads the all-time series 7-4-1
- Current win streak: Georgia is on a two-game winning streak.
- Last game: Georgia destroyed Florida State’s team and program in their 63-3 win in the Orange Bowl in 2023. Florida State was 13-0 and “State Champs” heading into that game. The Seminoles are 7-17 since that game against the Dawgs. Bless their hearts.
Main Photo: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
