Jaguars reach out to two regional universities regarding hosting games
The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly kicking the tires on alternate locations to play home games while TIAA Bank Field undergoes future renovations. According to Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union, the team has communicated with officials at the University of North Florida and the University of Florida regarding the possibility of playing games there. UNF confirmed […]
The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly kicking the tires on alternate locations to play home games while TIAA Bank Field undergoes future renovations. According to Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union, the team has communicated with officials at the University of North Florida and the University of Florida regarding the possibility of playing games there.
UNF confirmed that the team had indeed contacted them. "The University of North Florida has had initial contact from the Jaguars, and we understand the team is exploring many options. No decisions from any side have been made, and we look forward to future discussions," the university said.
University of Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin also addressed the issue on Thursday.
“The Jaguars have shared their exciting vision for their stadium renovations with us and also expressed interest in having future conversations about where they would play games during the renovation," said Stricklin. "It would be worth exploring hosting games in The Swamp. There are a lot of Jags fans in Gainesville given the close proximity to Jacksonville.”
The report comes a day after Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry went on the radio on 1010 XL and advised the team was looking for a short-term home, likely for the 2025-2026 seasons, while TIAA Bank Field would undergo major renovations.
It's completely reasonable for the Jags to cast their net wide and try to find out how many options they have, and what all those options would involve and cost. That's smart business. As such, kicking the tires on what UNF would offer is understandable.
However, if the University of Florida is willing to accommodate the Jags, and the terms aren't wholly unreasonable, then this is a no brainer for both sides.
Having NFL games in their stadium means eyeballs on the university for two years on both football Saturdays and Sundays, as well as having the university directly tied to the most popular and profitable sports league in the country. That's never a bad thing. And for the Jags and the league, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is the stadium with the largest capacity and is located the closest of all realistic options to Jacksonville. It clearly makes the most sense.
We'll see if more suitors are revealed in the near future, but a short-term marriage of one the state's premiere universities with its regional NFL team could be on the horizon.
