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NFL owners unanimously approved Jacksonville’s $1.4 billion “stadium of the future” Tuesday, a decision that should keep the Jaguars in one of the league’s smallest markets for at least another 30 years.
With the Jags (1-5) getting ready to play the second of back-to-back games in London, NFL owners essentially ended decades of speculation about the franchise being a potential relocation candidate.
Twenty-four of 32 owners were needed to approve the project at the league’s fall meetings in Atlanta. It was considered such a rubber-stamp situation that Jaguars owner Shad Khan and team president Mark Lamping were allowed to skip the meetings and avoid 12 hours of travel from London to Atlanta and back.
The Jaguars didn’t anticipate much pushback even though the 55-45% financial split — with the city on the hook for the majority of the deal — is higher than most NFL owners contribute to new or renovated stadiums.
Each side will pay $625 million toward the $1.25 billion build. Jacksonville, which won’t levy any new taxes to fund its part, will chip in another $150 million in deferred maintenance to get EverBank Stadium ready for construction.
Construction is scheduled to start following the 2025 season. The Jaguars expect to play in front of a reduced capacity (no upper deck) in 2026 and then host home games in Gainesville or Orlando the following year. They also could play multiple home games overseas, in London and possibly Ireland.
The renovation agreement with the city allows the Jaguars to play up to six home games internationally between 2025 and 2027, with a maximum of three during the first two years and up to three more in 2027.
The project also will affect the annual Florida-Georgia game and the Gator Bowl; Florida and Georgia have bid their rivalry out for consecutive years, with expected destinations being Atlanta in 2026 and Miami, Orlando or Tampa in 2027. The Gator Bowl is planning to play in Jacksonville in 2026 and potentially Gainesville in 2027.
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-owners-approve-jacksonvilles-14-billion-stadium-of-the-future-set-to-open-in-2028
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Publish date : 2024-10-15 21:01:49
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