The Jacksonville Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville came to an agreement on the “Stadium of the Future” last week. EverBank Stadium is slated to be ready for construction beginning in 2026 as the Jaguars will undergo stadium renovations for at least two years before the new version of the stadium is completed.
The stadium will play with a reduced capacity in 2026, but what about the 2027 season? The Jaguars have a plan for a location.
Jaguars president Mark Lamping told the Orlando Sentinel the franchise will be hosting home games in either Orlando or Gainesville in 2027. If the Jaguars go to Orlando, they’ll play in Camping World Stadium. If Gainesville, it will be Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Orlando is two hours (141 miles) away from Jacksonville. Camping World Stadium has hosted Pro Bowls and underwent a major reconstruction in 2014, holding 60,219 people. The facility would be more accommodating for visiting teams as well.
Gainesville is just over an hour (72 miles away) from Jacksonville, but the facilities for visiting teams could be more difficult. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is the home of the Florida Gators, as college facilities are significantly different than what players are accustomed to. The stadium holds 88,548.
If the Jaguars choose Gainesville, they certainly wouldn’t be the first team to play a season in a college stadium. The Minnesota Vikings played two seasons (2014 and 2015) at Huntington Bank Stadium (University of Minnesota) while U.S. Bank Stadium was being built. The Chicago Bears played one season at Memorial Stadium (University of Illinois) in 2002 while Soldier Field was being renovated and the Seattle Seahawks played the 2000 and 2001 seasons at Husky Stadium (University of Washington) while Lumen Field was being constructed.
The Jaguars don’t have to make a decision right away, but they have Orlando and Gainesville as their two candidates to host games. Both will be a temporary home until the “Stadium of the Future” is ready to go.
