It has been 10 years since Shad Khan took over ownership of the Jacksonville Jaguars from the Weaver family, and while that era has included many positives for the city, including development projects in the downtown area surrounding the stadium, it has also led to stagnation from the team. Khan has been widely criticized for prioritizing his real estate dealings over putting a winning product on the field, but regardless, it’s hard to deny that his vision makes sense for the city and franchise.
Speaking to the media on Monday afternoon, Khan discussed some of his plans for the future of both, including the incoming Four Seasons Resort near the stadium, which received approval from the city earlier this year after the failure of the Lot J proposal.
However, one of the more interesting notes from his speech was what he said about the stadium. Though state of the art when it was completed in 1995, TIAA Bank Field now lags behind many of the palaces that have opened in recent years. It has seen major renovations, most recently in 2016, but those didn’t fundamentally change the fan experience.
Fans have been vocal about having renovations similar to those at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, which added awnings to keep the crowd shaded while maintaining an open-air stadium.
“We need a stadium that not only keeps Florida-Georgia, but we’ve got to think about really to get more use in Jacksonville,” Khan said. “The college playoff is going to be expanding, we got to have a stadium that qualifies for that. There’s no reason we can’t have Jacksonville get into the mix of it. So, all of those events, how do we make it more? And it’s not the stadium usage, but it’s also getting more people to this town.”
Aside from hosting a Super Bowl after the 2004 season, Jacksonville has largely been absent from the bidding process for games like that, including the College Football Playoff national championship. As Khan points out, the playoff is likely to expand in the coming years and could open the door for more bidding opportunities for the games.
Florida-Georgia is also a major moneymaker for the city, and while there has been frequent discussion about returning to a home-and-home setup, which would have numerous negative impacts on the city financially, Jacksonville reached an agreement earlier this year to keep the game at TIAA Bank Field through 2023, at least, with the option to extend the contract two years after that.
Only time will tell if this is hot air from the Jags’ owner, but it’s clear that stadium enhancements are among his top priorities in the coming years.