After 28 seasons in Jacksonville, the Jaguars might soon be looking for a new home, but only temporarily.
Last week, the team unveiled a $1.4 billion renovation plan for TIAA Bank Field, which has been the Jags' home stadium since their inaugural season in 1995. Right now, the plan seems to have two big problems: The first one is that no one knows who's going to foot the bill. If they solve the first problem, then the second problem is that the Jaguars might have to leave Jacksonville while the renovations are happening.
The facelift is expected to be so extensive that the the Jags will likely have to leave TIAA Bank Field for up to two years once the renovation starts. That likely wouldn't happen until after the 2025 season at the earliest, according to VenueNow.com, which means the Jags have roughly two years to figure something out.
So where should the Jags head if they have to move? We decided to rank the options they're currently considering.
1. Daytona
If the Jags head down south to Daytona, they would play their games at Daytona International Speedway, and let me just say, this is their top option and it's not even close. If you're wondering what this would look like, all you have to do is go back in time seven years. Back in 2016, a college game was played at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee and was a huge success.
'Merica pic.twitter.com/whEHAazLAT
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) September 10, 2016
Like Bristol, Daytona has also hosted a college game before, although that hasn't happened since 1975.
If the Jags start playing in Daytona, it would likely become a top road trip destination for opposing fans. I mean, who doesn't want to watch an NFL game at a race car track? Actually don't answer that. That's a rhetorical question, because everyone would want to watch an NFL game at a race car track.
If the Jags end up in Daytona and have a successful run there, it may open the door for the NFL to consider exotic options for one-off games in the future. The good news about this option is that it seems like the Jags are giving it some serious consideration.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Jaguars president Mark Lamping recently laid out a few reasons why Daytona could make sense
"They have had football down there," Lamping said. "The University of Tennessee played at Bristol [Motor Speedway]. And keep in mind, that facility is probably the closest of those three facilities to Jacksonville. From where I live, it's 60 miles down to Daytona. And they're used to handling crowds of over 100,000. So the traffic and the parking and all of that, they handle in a major way twice a year with their two NASCAR races. So they're going to be interesting."
2. Orlando
If there's one city that's ready to host the Jaguars, it's definitely Orlando. For one, the city already has an NFL-ready venue in place with Camping World Stadium. Not only has the stadium hosted multiple preseason games over the years, but it also played host to the Pro Bowl from 2017 to 2020.
Not to mention, this would probably be a popular road trip for families. If your favorite team is playing the Jaguars, you could head down a few days early and take trips to Disney World, Universal Studios or Lego Land. Sure, that won't be cheap, but nothing is cheap anymore, so just think about it like that. Las Vegas has become a hot NFL road trip because there's so much for adults to do; putting the Jags in Orlando would likely see a similar result, except with families.
3. Gainesville
If the Jags go to Gainesville, they'd play their games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, which most people know as "The Swamp." This is where the Florida Gators play, and although watching college football being played in a college football stadium is a surreal experience, watching an NFL game being played in a college football stadium doesn't have the same charm. (Just ask the Rams about that.) One downside to this plan is that "The Swamp" has a capacity of 88,548 fans, which could make it tough for the Jaguars to fill. Only one team in the NFL last year averaged more than 80,000 fans for the entire season, and that was the Cowboys.
Although most teams can't hit that number because their stadium isn't big enough, the Jets and Giants play in a stadium that has a capacity of 82,500 and neither team cracked the 80,000-mark in average home attendance last year. Even if the Jaguars somehow drew 71,000 fans per game, which would put them in the top 10 for home attendance, that would still leave 17,000 empty seats, and the Jags probably don't want that.
4. Stay in Jacksonville
There is a chance the Jags could end up staying in Jacksonville during the renovations, but it seems highly unlikely. If they stay in Jacksonville, their only two options would be an 11,000-seat minor league baseball stadium or a 12,000 seat multi-purpose stadium owned by the University of North Florida. According to VenueNow.com, each building would need at least $125 million in upgrades to become NFL-ready, and the Jags likely wouldn't want to spend $125 million on a stadium that they're only going to use for one or two years.
Bonus: Head to England
The Jaguars haven't specifically mentioned this as an option, but it could end up being the wild card on the table. If the Jags are forced to leave Jacksonville for two years, it wouldn't be surprising at all to see the NFL add a few more London games to their schedule. The Jags are playing two consecutive games in London this year, and last month, Roger Goodell admitted that the NFL has tossed around the idea of sending the Jags to London for THREE straight games.
The NFL has even floated the idea of putting an entire division in Europe, and it's possible the league could make the Jags a guinea pig of sorts. The league could have them play half their home games in London or maybe just their divisional home games. Obviously, those things might not happen, but a homeless Jaguars team would certainly give the NFL some options when it comes to expanding the schedule in Europe.
Another option could be to split the Jaguars between London and another city. The president of Daytona International Speedway, Frank Kelleher, sounded open to sharing the Jaguars.
"If the stars align where we could host one (Jaguars) game or multiple games, we would be very proud," Kelleher said over the weekend, via Jacksonville.com.
Although nothing is set in stone yet, it's looking more and more likely that the Jags are going to need a new temporary new home as soon as 2026, and Daytona definitely feels like the best option.
