The Jacksonville Jaguars could renovate their stadium within the next few years, and that means the Florida-Georgia game will need to find a new home for at least the two years TIAA Bank Field is under construction.
“I expect that the renovations will take two seasons,” outgoing Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry said. “The (Jaguars) would have to play somewhere else. The goal would be to play somewhere in Jacksonville … Part of this deal does take into consideration the Florida-Georgia game, depending on which year it is.”
Curry said that his Chief Administration Officer is working with both schools on a potential deal. The current deal expires after this season, but the teams have the option to extend it by two years into the 2025 season. The timeline given by Curry would see the stadium begin construction in 2025, so that could affect the deal.
The Athletic is reporting that Florida was under the impression that the facility would be unavailable after the option years, but Curry’s timeline suggests otherwise.
Still, it’s clear that Florida and Georgia need to look at other options for at least two years, and the simple answer might not be the best one. Most would expect the teams to go to a home-and-home series for those two years, but looking at other neutral site venues might be more lucrative for both parties.
The Athletic suggests Atlanta, Miami, Orlando and Tampa as potential options, but there’s no real movement on that front just yet. Officials at both schools are still reacting to the news and seeking clarity before making the next step.
“We look forward to having conversations with the appropriate City of Jacksonville officials which will provide more information on the scope of construction, the timeline of the project, and how it would impact the future of our game versus Florida,” Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks said on Wednesday to UGASports.
[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1368]
[mm-video type=video id=01gz7ptz3b1vkd9j15cm playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gz7ptz3b1vkd9j15cm/01gz7ptz3b1vkd9j15cm-e52c0f69acae57136c78dbac86c6aa4e.jpg]
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.