As proposed renovations to EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville inch closer to becoming reality, so does the need for the Jaguars to find a host stadium for the 2027 season.
Part of the agreement regarding renovations reached last week between the Jaguars and City of Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan was that the club would play away from its home stadium for one season, three years into the project, before the new-look facility opens for business in August 2028.
Orlando’s Camping World Stadium and Gainesville’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the latter being the front lawn of the University of Florida, appear to be the frontrunners to house the Jaguars that year.
“They’re both very good candidates,” Jaguars president Mark Lamping told the Orlando Sentinel on Friday. “Gainesville is closer and we have a pretty deep relationship with the University of Florida and are thankful for their annual commitment to the Florida-Georgia game.
“As for Orlando, Camping World has hosted NFL games in the past and the NFL is very familiar and obviously comfortable with the management of the facility. And, logistically, for visiting teams, Orlando is a little less complicated than Gainesville. There are pros and cons to both sites.”
Camping World Stadium, which can hold 60,219 people, has hosted five of the NFL’s last seven Pro Bowls, seven NFL preseason games, the UCF Knights football team (1979–2006), college bowl games and plenty of other sporting events in its 88-year existence.
The venue is set to receive $400 million for renovations, with funding approved earlier this year. Construction is expected to be completed before the 2027 college football season, just in time to provide the Jaguars with a temporary home.
The CEO of Florida Citrus Sports, Steve Hogan, explained to the Orlando Sentinel that so long as those plans remain intact, Camping World Stadium would be suited to offer an NFL team such as Jacksonville a temporary home.
“We have stayed in pretty regular communication with the Jags over many years now,” said Hogan. “We have always pursued opportunities in the NFL space, whether it’s NFL Pro Bowls or preseason games. The ambition is to have future regular season games in Orlando.
“We want to make a case for the Jags and then anybody else for that matter.”
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium can occupy 88,548 people and is roughly half the distance from Jacksonville as the crow flies compared to Orlando. Logistics such as parking and lodging would be much different in the college town of Gainesville, though, and the University of Florida is currently exploring options to renovate the facility, too.
The Jaguars have not publicly proposed a timeline to determine a home field for the 2027 season, and both the Jacksonville City Council and 75% of NFL team ownership must approve the renovation agreement before construction on EverBank Stadium can begin.