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    Gator Bowl Tickets

    Dec. 30, 2026 · 11:30 a.m. ET · EverBank Stadium, reduced capacity

    One of college football's oldest bowls plays its 82nd game in a stadium mid-renovation, with the upper decks closed and far fewer seats to go around.

    By the Good Seats editorial teamUpdated How we research

    Upcoming Gator Bowl dates

    Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.

    The 2026 Gator Bowl: date, stadium and tie-ins

    The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game in Jacksonville, Florida, and the 82nd game is scheduled for Wednesday, December 30, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. Eastern on ESPN, at Bill Gay Grounds at EverBank Stadium. Played every year since 1946, it is the sixth-oldest bowl in college football and is run by Gator Bowl Sports, formerly the Gator Bowl Association.

    The 2025 game matched an SEC team against an ACC team, and the bowl's recent agreements have also included the Big Ten. Conference tie-ins rotate and are renegotiated every few years, so confirm the 2026 pairing when teams are announced after the College Football Playoff field is set in early December.

    What the renovation means for 2026 tickets

    EverBank Stadium, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is in the middle of a renovation the team calls the Stadium of the Future. Construction began in February 2025, and the grand opening is set for August 2028. That work changes this game in three ways.

    • Fewer seats. According to the Jaguars, capacity for the 2026 season is about 42,465, with roughly 27,308 seats offline, mostly in the 400-level upper deck. Wikipedia lists the figure as 42,507. Either way, the stadium seats far fewer than the roughly 67,800 it held before construction.
    • Closed areas. For 2026 the Upper Decks, the North End Zone Deck and the Sky Patio are closed. Only the main bowl is open, reached through new grand staircases near the West Club gate and Gate 3, and four new breezeways have been cut into the bowl to improve airflow.
    • A one-year move after this game. The Jaguars say the Gator Bowl will be played in Gainesville for the 2027 season and return to the renovated stadium for the December 2028 or January 2029 game.

    For buyers, the smaller stadium cuts both ways. The cheapest upper-deck seats that usually absorb late demand are gone, so a matchup with two well-traveled fan bases can tighten supply quickly. In exchange, every open seat is in the main bowl, closer to the field than the old upper deck. These details are as of fall 2026; check the bowl's and the stadium's current information before you go.

    Where to sit at EverBank Stadium for a late-morning kickoff

    The bowl assigns sidelines by conference. For the 2025 game, the SEC team sat on the west side of the stadium and the ACC team on the east side, and the bowl generally announces this in its FAQ each year. Buy on your team's side if you want to sit with your own fans.

    • Sideline seats between the 20-yard lines in the main bowl are the best seats available in 2026 and the first to see demand.
    • Club seats on the west side offer a higher sideline view and access through the West Club entrance.
    • Middle rows of the lower level usually see more of the field than the first few rows, which sit at field height behind the team benches.
    • South end zone seats are the value pick with the north end zone deck closed, but expect a poor view of plays at the far end.

    For an 11:30 a.m. kickoff on December 30, the sun sits low in the southern sky through the game. Jacksonville weather at the end of December can range from mild and sunny to cool and wet, so dress in layers.

    Parking, entry and gameday logistics

    The bowl's FAQ for the 2025 game listed these arrangements. Treat them as a guide and check the bowl's current information before you go, since construction can change gates and lots.

    • Parking lots open about five hours before kickoff, and the stadium gates about two hours before.
    • Tickets are mobile only. Download them before you arrive. Children 24 months and older need a ticket.
    • Rideshare pickup after the game is on Beaver Street.
    • Accessible drop-off points are on both the east and west sides.
    • The stadium is fully cashless, and Guest Services at Section 123 converts cash to a payment card.

    GoodSeats backs every order with guaranteed entry and a 100% guarantee. Parking and bowl-week details are posted at taxslayergatorbowl.com, and construction updates are on the Jaguars' Stadium of the Future page.

    Eight decades of history and sponsors

    The first Gator Bowl was played on January 1, 1946, at Jacksonville's Fairfield Stadium, where Wake Forest beat South Carolina 26–14 before 7,362 fans. The game moved to Gator Bowl Stadium in 1948 and stayed there through 1993. When that stadium was rebuilt into what is now EverBank Stadium, the December 1994 game was played at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, the same solution planned for 2027. The game returned to Jacksonville in January 1996.

    The sponsor list traces corporate America across four decades:

    • Mazda from 1986 to 1991
    • Outback Steakhouse from 1992 to 1994
    • Toyota from 1995 to 2007
    • Konica Minolta from 2008 to 2010
    • Progressive in 2011
    • TaxSlayer from 2012 to the present, first as the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, then the TaxSlayer Bowl from 2014 to 2017, and the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl since 2018

    Games people still talk about

    The most infamous moment in the bowl's history came in the 1978 game, when Ohio State coach Woody Hayes struck Clemson's Charlie Bauman on the sideline, an incident that ended Hayes's coaching career. The record crowd of 84,129 came on January 1, 2010, when Florida State beat West Virginia 33–21.

    Recent games have been close and high-scoring. Tennessee edged Indiana 23–22 in January 2020, Notre Dame beat South Carolina 45–38 in December 2022 before 67,383, and Clemson beat Kentucky 38–35 a year later. Ole Miss routed Duke 52–20 on January 2, 2025, and Virginia beat Missouri 13–7 in the December 2025 game to finish a 10-win season.

    Frequently asked questions

    When is the 2026 Gator Bowl?

    The 82nd TaxSlayer Gator Bowl is scheduled for Wednesday, December 30, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. Eastern at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, on ESPN.

    Is the Gator Bowl affected by the EverBank Stadium renovation?

    Yes. For 2026 the stadium operates at about 42,500 seats with the upper decks, North End Zone Deck and Sky Patio closed. The game is expected to move to Gainesville for the 2027 season.

    Where will the Gator Bowl be played in 2027?

    According to the Jaguars, the game moves to Gainesville for the 2027 season, then returns to the renovated stadium in Jacksonville for the December 2028 or January 2029 game.

    Which side do the teams sit on?

    For the 2025 game the SEC team sat on the west side and the ACC team on the east side. The bowl posts sideline assignments in its FAQ each year.

    Are Gator Bowl tickets mobile only?

    For the 2025 game, tickets were mobile only and had to be downloaded before arrival, and children 24 months and older needed a ticket. Check current rules before the game.

    How old is the Gator Bowl?

    The first game was played on January 1, 1946, and it has been held every year since, making it the sixth-oldest college bowl.

    Sources