The NFL house owners on Tuesday unanimously authorized the settlement between the Jaguars and town of Jacksonville on a $1.4 billion renovation of EverBank Stadium.
Development is scheduled to start in early 2025 with the staff taking part in in Jacksonville below a decreased capability in 2025 and 2026.
“By no means doubt Jacksonville. That was my message in the summertime to Mayor [Donna] Deegan, the Jacksonville Metropolis Council and our residents, and I’m humbled and grateful that my fellow NFL staff house owners agree,” Jaguars proprietor Shad Khan mentioned in a press release. “… The venue will likely be world-class by each definition. It is going to impressively serve the Jaguars and their followers, entice main sports activities and leisure occasions to our area, and function an financial catalyst for many years to come back. It additionally means a brand new and vibrant Downtown Jacksonville that when might have appeared unimaginable will certainly come to life
“I ship my deepest appreciation to all who believed, and particularly to everybody who did the onerous work to make this occur. We’ve rather more onerous work forward, however so much to be happy with immediately. Have fun!”
The Jaguars and town have agreed to every contribute $625 million to the renovation, however the metropolis additionally has agreed to pay $150 million over the subsequent two seasons on upkeep and repairs to arrange the stadium for development. Which means town will likely be accountable for 55% of the full price.
The Jacksonville Metropolis Council voted 14-1 in late June to approve the deal, which additionally requires Jaguars proprietor Shad Khan to be accountable for price overruns of the renovation in addition to 80.4% of the game-day bills.
The renovated stadium can be much like SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, with a shaded cover over each seat that would scale back the temperature by 15 levels. Capability for Jaguars video games can be 63,000, however seating may very well be expanded to 70,000-plus to accommodate the annual Florida-Georgia sport in addition to attracting different potential sporting occasions and concert events.
The plan is for the Jaguars to proceed to play in EverBank Stadium with a decreased capability in 2025 and 2026 after which play the 2027 season elsewhere.
Along with the renovation, the deal between town and the Jaguars additionally features a 30-year lease that may start as soon as the stadium reopens and a non-relocation settlement, which might put to relaxation the relocation rumors which have surrounded the small-market franchise for the previous 15 years. The settlement additionally features a clause that permits the Jaguars to play as much as six house video games internationally over the subsequent three seasons, with a most of three in 2027, when the Jaguars will play all house video games away from EverBank Stadium. There is also a clause within the lease that limits the Jaguars to at least one house sport yearly in London beginning in 2028 until mandated by the NFL to take part in an extra worldwide sport as soon as each 4 seasons — and that is solely through the seasons by which the staff has 9 house video games (each odd yr).
The Jaguars have performed a house sport yearly in London since 2013 (apart from 2020 due to the pandemic). Additionally they performed a street sport in London in 2023 and had been the street staff final Sunday towards Chicago. They play the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium of their house sport on Sunday.