Jacksonville Approves $1.4B ‘Stadium of the Future’ For Jaguars

The Jacksonville City Council voted 14-1 Tuesday night to approve an agreement between the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and the city on a $1.4 billion “stadium of the future.”

Jacksonville Jaguars’ agreement must get approved by 24 of the NFL’s 32 owners at the league’s meetings in October

All that remains is for the agreement to get approved by 24 of the NFL’s 32 owners at the league’s meetings in October in Atlanta. If approved, construction is scheduled to begin after the team’s 2025 season concludes.

The project would finish in time for the 2028 season, according to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco.

“This is a historic day for our city,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said. “As I said to the council, this is what we can do when we all row together and we focus on a goal together.

Jaguars’ timeline until they move into their new stadium in 2028: pic.twitter.com/UOdnC6a2GM

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 25, 2024

“Monumental. I think it’s generational progress.”

The Jaguars and the city have agreed to each contribute $625 million to the renovation. However, the city has also agreed to pay $150 million over the next two seasons on maintenance and repairs to prepare for construction.

Furthermore, the city will pay for 55% of the total cost. The Jaguars will commit $100 million for commercial development downtown as well.

Jags’ agreement includes a 30-year lease, non-relocation agreement to remain in Florida

If the project goes over budget, the team and city would split the overage up to $5 million, with the Jaguars paying for anything over that. The agreement requires Jaguars owner Shad Khan to be responsible for cost overruns of the renovation along with 80.4% of the game-day expenses.

More importantly, the agreement includes a 30-year lease, which will begin once the stadium reopens, and a non-relocation agreement. The latter will ensure that the Jaguars remain in Jacksonville for at least another 30 years.

Jacksonville city council approves $1.4B renovation of Jaguars stadium in a 14-1 vote. Includes a 30-year lease and non-relocation clause that should end franchise moving rumors. If NFL approves deal in October construction would start after 2025 season. https://t.co/brmgE46fHF

— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) June 26, 2024

Another stipulation pertains to a clause that limits the Jaguars to one home game annually in London unless mandated by the NFL to participate in an additional international game once every four seasons. This is only during the seasons in which the team has nine home games.

The Jaguars have played a home game annually in London since 2013, excluding 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They played consecutive games in the U.K. last season, but only one as the home team. The Jags are scheduled to play back-to-back home games in London again in Weeks 6 and 7 this season.

In 2027, the Jaguars will play at either Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville or Camping World Stadium in Orlando

Moreover, Jaguars president Mark Lamping said the team started the process working toward an eventual new or renovated stadium back in 2016, and the goal was to keep the Jags in the Sunshine State.

“The reason we started on it so early is that we studied those cities that had problems with their teams,” Lamping said. “Unfortunately, there have been cities that have lost their NFL teams and they generally all have the same thing in common. It’s a smaller market.

“The team doesn’t have a lease tying them to the city and they have an unresolved stadium problem. And Shad’s commitment from the very beginning was to do everything that we could to ensure that doesn’t happen to Jacksonville.

We did it… again!#DUUUVAL

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) June 25, 2024

“We’ve been spending a tremendous amount of time and resources, particularly over the last four years, and we’re thrilled that we could turn that goal. It was a goal that Shad had, and that the community shared to keep the Jaguars here in northeast Florida for generations to come this evening. We’ve turned that goal into a reality thanks to the mayor and her team.”

The current plan is for the Jaguars to continue to play in EverBank Stadium with a reduced capacity in 2026 and then play the 2027 season in another venue.

Since the Jaguars eliminated the possibility of playing at Daytona International Speedway because of a lack of infrastructure, this leaves the NFL franchise with two options: playing at either Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville or Camping World Stadium in Orlando.