$5.6bn NFL team to relocate 150 miles away to 90-year-old stadium as decision made
The Jacksonville Jaguars are briefly vacating EverBank Stadium as it undergoes enormous renovations.
With the stadium overhaul expected to be completed by August 2028it has lengthy been anticipated that the Jaguars will play their dwelling video games at a impartial website in Orlando by 2027 NFL season.
This is as a result of EverBank, which opened in 1995, has already begun its $1.4 billion renovations on their ‘stadium of the future’which is able to see a restricted capability of 43,500 followers for the 2026 marketing campaign.
Jaguars will play 2027 dwelling video games in Orlando after proposal unanimously authorized
TO proposed move to 60,000-seater Camping World Stadium within the West Lakes neighborhood in Downtown Orlando, 150 miles south of the Jags’ present dwelling, was voted on again on March 31.
The vote passed off amongst team homeowners on the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona to decide the place the Jaguars’ dwelling for the 2027 season shall be.
It was unanimously authorized (32-0 vote) by the NFL’s homeowners, which means the Jags will formally play their dwelling video games in Orlando in the course of the 2027 season.
“The Jaguars couldn’t ask for a better scenario than Orlando and Camping World Stadium as our temporary home in 2027,” team proprietor Shad Khan – who can also be proprietor of Premier League team Fulham – he stated.
“This couldn’t have happened without the endorsement of the league and team owners who approved our plan two years ago for a renovated Stadium of the Future in Downtown Jacksonville, and we’re especially appreciative of the support of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the course of the course of.
“We’re additionally grateful to the team at Florida Citrus Sports that made this resolution a actuality that may profit everybody, together with Jaguars followers just some hours away in Jacksonville. This is a win that everybody can have a good time.”
“I take a look at it as an thrilling alternative,” general manager James Gladstone stated on Tuesday. “You have an opportunity to breach a area of the state that [we] in any other case it would not have the luxurious of doing, and any problem simply brings with it additional probabilities for development. …
“And obviously it’s still far away, so we’ve got the 2026 season to really focus our attention on [it]but looking forward to that moment once it comes.”
“I do think it could be a way to connect with a new fan base,” head coach Liam Coen added. “[Are] there are going to be challenges and stressors and things that we have to work through? Absolutely.
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“But I do suppose typically for our model and for Jacksonville Jaguars soccer, I do not suppose it is going to kill us.”
Leaders from both Orlando and Orange County – who have reportedly invested $11 million in incentives in their efforts to lure the team – traveled to Phoenix to monitor the league’s vote.
The Camping World Stadium was the leading frontrunner to land the Jags on what is essentially a one-year rental from the start, with the 80,000-capacity University of Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville also putting their name forward to host the team.
EverBank Stadium’s ambitious renovations are set to include a reflective roof which bids to cover an estimated 90 percent of its 63,000 seating, although there is the potential to expand its capacity to 72,000 for special events.
The plans also include a complete overhaul of the surrounding concourses, offering panoramic views of the city, as well as vast technological improvements throughout.
In addition to the renovation, the agreement between the city and the Jaguars includes a 30-year lease that would begin once the stadium reopens in 2028.
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NFL Stadium Status
It also includes a clause that allows the Jaguars to play up to six home games internationally from 2025-27, with a maximum of three in 2027 as they await the completion of EverBank Stadium.
EverBank Stadium building replace
Reports point out that building at EverBank Stadium has intensified of late, with main structural modifications – each internally and externally – now noticeable.
According to Jags president Mark Lamping, an estimated 15 percent of construction has been completedwith the “whole bones” of the stadium have begun, which includes steel installation, concourse expansion and bowl demolition.
An estimated 22,000 of the 27,000 seats that are due to be out of use for the 2026 season are from the upper deck.
Further seating at the 200 level corners are being removed, as to comply with the latest NFL broadcast camera standards, while some lower bowl seats are being temporarily removed to strengthen the underlying structures of the stadium.
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Work has also begun on making a 360 degree concourse which is elevated 30 feet above ground level.
When completed, this will provide fans with views of the surrounding city and river, while the design structure also boasts the benefit of improving airflow throughout the stadium.
Steel trusses have already begun to be installed, providing the support system for the new overlaying canopy which is expected to span the entire seating bowl.
This canopy is projected to reduce heat retention by 70 percent.
Camping World Stadium’s own renovation deadline
Camping World Stadium has been a short-term home for multiple professional sports teams over the years, including MLS team Orlando City SC (2011-2013, 2015-16) and XFL team Orlando Guardians (2023).
But the 90-year-old stadium has been primarily used as a venue for the NCAA‘s Cure Bowl, Pop-Tarts Bowl and Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, where Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns defeated the Michigan Wolverines 41-27.
Most recently, the stadium has transformed into a soccer field having hosted the international friendly between Colombia and Croatia, which featured some of the sport’s biggest names, including that of Luis Diaz, James Rodriguezand Luka Modric.
However, Camping World Stadium is also currently undergoing a renovation of its own, having begun work on a $400 million transformation back in February.
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All works, though, are projected to be completed in time for the Jags’ expected move-in date of the 2027 NFL season.
“You’re speaking about somebody who wants a spot to play for a 12 months. Our group is about up for that, and this new constructing shall be very best,” Steve Hogan, CEO of Florida Citrus Sports, told News6 in February.
“We simply have to meet the development schedule, and we’ll.”
Jags’ 2026 offseason
The Jaguars are coming off a hugely impressive 2025 campaign, where, spearheaded by quarterback Trevor Lawrence‘s 4,000-plus yard season, their 13-4 winning record saw them clinch the AFC South title for just the second time in franchise history.
TO large part of their success was the acquisition of wide receiver Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline, who, in nine games had 483 receiving yards for three touchdowns.
Going into 2026, they will be doing so without one of their premier running backs in Travis Etienne Jr. after his departure in free agency to the New Orleans Saints.
Devin Lloyd and Andrew Wingard also exited the team to the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinalsrespectively.
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