EverBank Stadiumis anAmerican footballstadium inJacksonville, Florida,United States. It is the home facility of theJacksonville Jaguarsof theNational Football League(NFL), and the headquarters of the professional wrestling promotionsAll Elite Wrestling(AEW) andRing of Honor(ROH).[5]
The Bank | |
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 EverBank Stadium in 2024 | |
  EverBank Stadium Location inJacksonville  EverBank Stadium Location inFlorida  EverBank Stadium Location in theUnited States | |
| Former names | Jacksonville Municipal Stadium(1995–96, 2007–10) Alltel Stadium(1997–2006) EverBank Field(2010–18) TIAA Bank Field(2018–23) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 EverBank Stadium Drive |
| Location | Jacksonville, Florida,United States |
| Coordinates | 30°19′26″N81°38′15″W/ 30.32389°N 81.63750°W |
| Owner | City of Jacksonville |
| Operator | ASM Global |
| Executive suites | 75[1] |
| Capacity | 67,814 (expandable to 82,000)[2] |
| Record attendance | 85,413 (Florida State Seminolesvs.Alabama Crimson Tide,September 29, 2007) |
| Surface | Tifway 419 Bermuda Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | January 3, 1994 |
| Opened | August 18, 1995 |
| Renovated | 2003–04, 2014, 2016 |
| Construction cost | US$121 million ($249 million in 2023 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | HOK Sport |
| Structural engineer | Bliss and Nyitray, Inc |
| Services engineer | M-E Engineers, Inc.[4] |
| General contractor | Huber, Hunt & Nichols[1] |
| Tenants | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars(NFL) (1995–present) Gator Bowl(NCAA) (1996–present) Florida-Georgia football rivalry(NCAA) (1996–present) Jacksonville Armada FC(NASL) (2015) | |
| Website | |
| everbankstadium | |
The stadium opened in 1995 asJacksonville Municipal Stadiumon the site of the oldGator Bowl Stadium(erected 1927), and included some portions of the older stadium. Located on theSt. Johns River,it sits on 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land indowntown Jacksonville.In addition to hosting the Jaguars, the stadium is regularly used forcollege football,concerts, and other events. It is the regular site of the annualFlorida–Georgia football rivalrygame, a matchup between theFlorida Gatorsof theUniversity of Floridaand theGeorgia Bulldogsof theUniversity of Georgia.The stadium is also the home of the annualGator Bowl,a post-season collegebowl game.Additionally, the stadium hostedSuper Bowl XXXIXin 2005 and is one of the venues used by theUnited States men's national soccer team.
From 1997 to 2006, the stadium was namedAlltel Stadiumafter communications companyAlltelpurchasednaming rights.The facility was renamedEverBank Fieldin 2010, following the approval of a five-year, naming rights deal with the financial services companyEverBank.The agreement was extended in 2014 for an additional 10 years.[6]The Jaguars announced in February 2018 the stadium would be renamedTIAA Bank Fieldfor the2018 NFL seasonafter EverBank was acquired by New York–basedTeachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America(TIAA).[7]In June 2023, the Jaguars announced the team's home stadium would be renamedEverBank Stadiumprior to the start of the season.[8]
The stadium temporarily played host to theNew Orleans Saintsduring the2021 NFL seasonafter the team was forced to relocate fromCaesars Superdomeowing to the aftermath ofHurricane Ida.[9]
Construction
editEverBank Stadium is located in theStadium Districtofdowntown Jacksonville,which has been home to football fields since the early 20th century. In 1928 the first permanent football stadium, Fairfield Stadium, was constructed. In 1948 this was expanded and renamedGator Bowl Stadium,in honor of the annualGator Bowlgame first played two years earlier.
The current structure was built using a few portions of the historic Gator Bowl Stadium. However, all of the elements included from the older stadium—the pedestrian ramp system and the more recent West Upper Deck section of the complex—dated back only to 1982. Construction started January 3, 1994, and the new stadium opened on August 18, 1995, with anexhibition gamewith theSt. Louis Rams.Total construction time was under 20 months and total cost was US$134 million—$60 million of which was provided by the city of Jacksonville.
Planning
editIn January 1993, representatives from theUniversity of FloridaandUniversity of Georgiabegan negotiating with Jacksonville representatives to renew the contract to host theFlorida–Georgia game,the annual rivalry game between thecollege footballteams of the two universities. The universities' five-year contract with the Gator Bowl ended after the 1994 game, and theCitrus Bowlhad offered Florida and Georgia a larger sum of money than the Gator Bowl for the right to host the game.[10]
To counter the Citrus Bowl's larger monetary offer, Jacksonville mayorEd Austinproposed a $25.5 million renovation plan to Jacksonville's aging Gator Bowl Stadium, which had been built in 1949. Both teams had expressed concerns about the condition of the aging stadium, and renovations were considered key to enticing the teams to keep returning to Jacksonville, bringing tens of millions of dollars in consumer spending with them.[11]Despite the promise of renovations, Georgia athletic directorVince Dooleywas unswayed,[12]so Austin widened the scope of the renovations, increasing their price tag to $49 million, and traveled to Athens, Georgia, to talk with Dooley in person.[13]Austin's campaigning was partially successful. On March 23, 1993, the two universities announced they had signed a five-year contract with the Gator Bowl, running from 1997 to 2002. The contract was contingent on Austin successfully passing the $49 million renovation bond issue through theJacksonville City Counciland the city completing the renovations by the 1996 game.[14]On Tuesday, May 11, the Jacksonville City Council approved a $219.5 million bond issue, including the $49 million for the renovation of the Gator Bowl.[15][16]
NFL expansion
editSoon after the approval of the bond issue, investors interested in attracting a newNational Football Leagueteam to Jacksonville requested that another $30 million be added to the $49 million renovations in order to make the stadium more attractive for a professional team.[17]That number climbed higher throughout the summer, and eventually the city reached an agreement with the leading group of investors hoping to attract an NFL team to Jacksonville. On July 1, the city and investors reached a lease agreement contingent on the city investing $112.3 million for improving the Gator Bowl.[18]The lease agreement later collapsed when the Jacksonville City Council voted to send the lease back to a committee for further study rather than approving it.[19]One month after the proposed deal fell through, city officials and investors tried again and were successful in negotiating a deal that included a pledge to spend $121 million on renovations to the Gator Bowl.[20]Due to the expanded renovations, it was announced that the 1994 Florida-Georgia game would have to be moved out of the Gator Bowl, as had the 1995 game, in order to provide time for the newly expanded renovation plan to be completed before 1996.[21]In the end, the expanded bond issue and renovation program proved to be successful, as Jacksonville was awarded the 30th NFL franchise—theJacksonville Jaguars—on November 30, 1993.[22]
Almost as soon as the celebration surrounding Jacksonville's new NFL team died down, a renovation contractor's plan to give 8% of the stadium work tominority-owned businesses drew criticism. TheNAACPand another group said African-American businesses should have been awarded twice that amount of work.[23]
Current stadium
edit
The stadium's re-opening day was also the home debut of the Jaguars during the1995 NFL season.It was the first time that an expansion NFL team had played its first game in a new facility; they played theHouston Oilersin the opener and lost 10–3. TheGator Bowlreturned as a New Year's Day bowl game on January 1, 1996, following the 1995 NCAA season.
The stadium contains 11,200 club seats, 88 luxury suites, and a "super suite".[1]
In 1997, the stadium changed its name to Alltel Stadium after naming rights were acquired byAlltel,a telecommunications company best known as awirelesscarrier. The name Alltel Stadium stopped being used by the city after January 2007 when the contract expired; by that point, most of Alltel's assets had been purchased byVerizon.
In 2005, the stadium hostedSuper Bowl XXXIXin which theNew England Patriotsdefeated thePhiladelphia Eagles24–21 in front of 78,125, the largest Super Bowl in attendance since 1994.Paul McCartneyperformed at halftime, performingBeatlesclassics "Drive My Car","Get Back",and"Hey Jude",as well as a firework-filled"Live and Let Die".In 2003 and 2004, $47 million in improvements to the stadium were implemented to prepare for the Super Bowl. These improvements included the addition of a unique sports bar in the south end zone called the"BudZone ", a larger and wider video and scoring display fromDaktronics,escalators in the north and south end zone, and a new "terrace suite" called the "Sky Patio" right above the "Bud Zone" in the south end zone.[24]
Before the 2005 season, mainly due to low attendance figures and loomingblackouts,team officials installed a series of tarps to reduce theseating capacityfor Jaguars games. The covers were placed to block out seven sections in the upper north end zone and four in each upper deck section, located on the corners of each. This puts 9,703 seats out of service, leaving the stadium with 66,851 seats for the regular season. However, in the event the Jaguars make the AFC Championship Game, the stadium can easily be expanded to full capacity. Some believed that this was a sign that the city couldn't support an NFL team; the city is the second-smallest market in the league. However, the current capacity is actually very close to what Wayne Weaver included in his original proposal to bring the Gator Bowl up to NFL standards. The city council turned this plan down, mainly out of concern for not having enough seats to accommodate the annual Florida-Georgia game.
Despite the changes, however, blackouts have still occurred, including two of their first three home games in2007and nine of ten games in 2009. It is believed that the2008 US financial crisisplayed a major part in the 2009 season blackouts,[citation needed]leading to insufficient ticket sales, with only the final home engagement of the regular season, with theIndianapolis Colts,managing to sell out. However, the Jaguars' 2010 season saw a huge turnaround in ticket sales, with no games being blacked out that year. The Jaguars avoided blackouts in all games in 2011 and 2012.
For the Super Bowl, Florida–Georgia game, and occasionally the Gator Bowl, temporary bleachers are put up in the south end zone, raising capacity to over 84,000.
The attendance record was set on September 29, 2007, when 85,413 watchedFlorida StatedefeatAlabamain what was dubbed the River City Showdown.[25]Each school received nearly 36,000 tickets, and the Gator Bowl Association added 5,800 seats.[26]
On July 26, 2010, naming rights to the stadium were bought byEverBank,[27]one of the nation's largest privately held bank holding companies. On August 10, the deal was officially approved by theJacksonville City Councilwith a 14–3 vote.[28]
In November 2013, Jacksonville's City Council approved $63 million in improvements to EverBank Field. Jaguars ownerShahid Khanhelped finance $20 million of the cost.[29]Renovations included two end zone video scoreboards 362-foot (110 m) long that are the largestHDLEDof their kind in the world, a platform area in the north end zone with two wading pools, unique food and beverage offerings, interactive activities, and 55,000 square feet (5,100 m2) of HD video screens, which is a world record for a stadium.[30]Construction of the platform resulted in the removal of approximately 7,000 seats, though temporary seating can be installed for major events that will require a larger stadium capacity. During the construction a live webcam was set up to view the progress of the new video scoreboards.[31]The scoreboards were publicly unveiled on July 26, 2014.[32]
In the middle of 2016, the Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville announced $90 million in improvements to the stadium. Phase 1 includes the improvements to club seating, sponsored by US Assure, new walkout patios at the 50-yard-line and the creation of a new south end zone tunnel that will be the new team entrance and create two new seating environments. Phase 2 includes the construction of an amphitheater (Daily's Place) and a covered flex field; both phases were completed in May 2017.[33]
After the successful2017 seasonwhich saw the Jaguars return to the playoffs for the first time since the2007 seasonand host a playoff game for the first time since1999,the Jaguars announced the removal of the last of the tarps on the upper levels. The removal adds 3,501 seats to the capacity of the stadium bringing total capacity to 67,814.[2]
The stadium is planned to undergo wholesale renovations around 2025 and 2026, with initial plans including a reduction in capacity to 60,000.[34]This could force the Jaguars, the Gator Bowl, and the Florida–Georgia game to temporarily play elsewhere during the reconstruction.[35][36]In June 2023, the Jaguars unveiled plans for the renovation of the stadium. Dubbed the "Stadium of the Future", the plans include a 360 degree concourse, an energy-efficient facade, and a large canopy to provide shade. Capacity will be reduced to 62,000, expandable to 71,500 for college football games.[37]
The stadium was temporarily rebranded toTrEverBank Stadiumbefore theJaguars' 2024 season18–13 home opener loss against theCleveland Browns,in an allude to Jaguars quarterbackTrevor Lawrencethrough apublicity stuntas part of his collaboration with EverBank.[38]
Seating capacity
editThe seating capacity for Jaguars games has gone as follows:
| Years | Capacity |
|---|---|
| 1995–2001 | 73,000[39] |
| 2003–2004 | 76,877[40] |
| 2005–2009 | 67,164[41] |
| 2010–2013 | 67,246[42] |
| 2014 | 67,297[43] |
| 2015 | 66,851[44] |
| 2016–2017 | 64,428[45] |
| 2018–present | 67,814[2] |
Notable events
editSoccer
edit| Date | Winning Team | Result | Losing Team | Tournament | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 17, 1997 |  United States |
2–1 |  Israel |
Friendly | 8,436 |
| February 6, 1999 | United States |
3–0 |  Germany |
Friendly | 17,259 |
| May 26, 2012 | United States |
5–1 |  Scotland |
Friendly | 44,438 |
| February 9, 2013 | United Stateswomen |
4–1 | Scotlandwomen |
Women's friendly | 18,656 |
| June 7, 2014 | United States |
2–1 |  Nigeria |
Friendly | 52,033 |
| September 6, 2016 | United States |
4–0 |  Trinidad and Tobago |
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | 19,410 |
| April 5, 2018 | United Stateswomen |
4–1 |  Mexicowomen |
Women's friendly | 14,360 |
| November 10, 2019 | United Stateswomen |
6–0 |  Costa Ricawomen |
Women's friendly | 12,914 |
Concerts
edit| Date | Artist | Opening act(s) | Tour / Concert name | Attendance | Revenue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 12, 1997 | U2 | Third Eye Blind | PopMart Tour | — | — | |
| June 4, 1999 | Shania Twain | Leahy | Come On Over Tour | — | — | |
| May 23, 2001 | NSYNC | BBMak 3LW Lil' Romeo Tony Lucca |
PopOdyssey | 42,218 / 71,256 | $2,030,372 | Postponed from May 18.[46] |
| February 6, 2005 | Paul McCartney | — | Super Bowl XXXIX | |||
| June 14, 2014 | Jason Aldean | Florida Georgia Line Tyler Farr |
Burn It Down Tour | — | — | [47] |
| June 13, 2015 | Zac Brown Band | — | Jekyll and Hyde Tour | — | — | These concerts were part of the Florida Country SuperFest. |
| June 14, 2015 | Kenny Chesney | Brantley Gilbert | The Big Revival Tour | — | — | |
| September 2, 2018 | Lynyrd Skynyrd | Kid Rock Jason Aldean The Charlie Daniels Band Blackberry Smoke the Marshall Tucker Band |
The Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour | — | — | [48] |
| July 19, 2019 | The Rolling Stones | The Revivalists | No Filter Tour | 50,358 / 50,358 | $10,198,392 | This concert was originally scheduled to take place on April 24, 2019 but was postponed due to Mick Jagger recovering from a heart procedure.[49] |
| July 31, 2021 | Green Day Fall Out Boy Weezer |
The Interrupters | Hella Mega Tour | - | - | This concert was originally scheduled to take place on August 6, 2020 but was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Florida. |
| July 2, 2022 | Def Leppard Mötley Crüe |
Poison Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Classless Act |
The Stadium Tour | - | - | This concert was originally scheduled to take place on June 18, 2020 but was postponed until August 7, 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Florida.It was then postponed again the following year, also due to COVID-19.[50] |
| May 3, 2024 | Luke Combs | Growin’ Up And Gettin’ Old Tour | ||||
| May 4, 2024 |
Gallery
edit-
Jaguar statue in front of the stadium -
EverBank Stadium in 2006 -
EverBank Stadium in 2008 -
Navyband performing the national anthem before a Jaguars game. -
Western entrance into the stadium -
-
-
United States men's national soccer teamopen practice from 2014
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abc"Everbank Field".Ballparks.
- ^abc"2018 Jacksonville Jaguars Media Guide"(PDF).Jacksonville Jaguars. 2018. p. 277.RetrievedAugust 31,2018.
- ^1634–1699:McCusker, J. J.(1997).How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda(PDF).American Antiquarian Society.1700–1799:McCusker, J. J.(1992).How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States(PDF).American Antiquarian Society.1800–present:Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis."Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–".RetrievedFebruary 29,2024.
- ^"Sports".M-E Engineers, Inc. Archived fromthe originalon January 15, 2002.
- ^Joyner, KC (January 8, 2019)."Jaguars owners backing new All Elite Wrestling".ESPN.RetrievedMay 22,2022.
- ^"EverBank, Jaguars extend stadium naming rights agreement".Jacksonville Jaguars. July 25, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon October 16, 2017.RetrievedFebruary 18,2018.
- ^Heilman, Phillip (February 16, 2018)."New name for Jaguars' stadium: TIAA Bank Field".The Florida Times-Union.RetrievedFebruary 17,2018.
- ^"TIAA Bank to become EverBank, a Brand Built on Legacy, Partnership and Forward-Looking Confidence".Jaguars. June 23, 2023.RetrievedJune 25,2023.
- ^"TIAA Bank Field transforms into second home of the Saints".Action News Jax.September 10, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 12,2021.
- ^Snook, Jeff. "UF-Georgia negotiations start today",The Palm Beach Post.January 12, 1993. Page C1.
- ^Florida Sun-Sentinel staff reports. "College Football",South Florida Sun-Sentinel.January 22, 1993. Page C2.
- ^Palm Beach Post staff reports. "Georgia may move '96 game to Athens",The Palm Beach Post.February 18, 1993. Page C8.
- ^Sun-Sentinel staff and wire reports. "Sports in brief",South Florida Sun-Sentinel.March 4, 1993. Page C2.
- ^Dame, Mike. "Florida-Georgia moving for '95",The Orlando Sentinel.March 23, 1993. Page D1.
- ^The Associated Press. "Gator Bowl gets funds for repairs",St. Petersburg Times.May 12, 1993. Page C6.
- ^Harry, Chris. "Gator Bowl plan OK'd to delight of UF, Georgia",The Tampa Tribune.May 12, 1993. Page Sports 5.
- ^Tampa Tribune staff. "Pro football",Tampa Tribune.May 14, 1993. Page Sports 2.
- ^Banks, Don. "NFL expansion a fleeting dream for Jacksonville",St. Petersburg Times.July 2, 1993. Page C1.
- ^Tampa Tribune staff report. "TD Jax! pulls out of race",The Tampa Tribune.July 22, 1993. Page Sports 9.
- ^Sun-Sentinel staff. "Jacksonville back in race",South Florida Sun-Sentinel.August 25, 1995. Page C6.
- ^Snook, Jeff. "UF could host 1994 Georgia game",The Palm Beach Post.September 1, 1993. Page C9.
- ^Browning, Michael. "Fantastic finish wins NFL team for Jacksonville",The Miami Herald.December 1, 1993. Page A1.
- ^The Associated Press. "Groups criticize contractor's plan",South Florida Sun-Sentinel.December 25, 1993. Page A26.
- ^"Daktronics Photo Gallery: Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium".
- ^"Lee comes off bench, rescues Florida State from Alabama".ESPN. September 29, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon September 15, 2016.RetrievedDecember 28,2010.
- ^"Alltel Stadium".
- ^"EverBank buying naming rights to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium".
- ^Mitchell, Tia (August 10, 2010)."City Council OKs EverBank Field deal".Jacksonville.RetrievedAugust 10,2010.
- ^DiRocco, Michael (July 27, 2014)."Jaguars unveil mammoth video boards".ESPN.go.ESPN.RetrievedOctober 8,2014.
- ^Jaguars: 'Not everything is bigger in Texas'.Retrieved July 16, 2014.
- ^"Jaguars Live Cam".
- ^Bibber, Ryan Van (July 27, 2014)."Jaguars unveil world's largest scoreboards at EverBank Field".SB Nation.
- ^Jaguars and city of Jacksonville unveil totally reimagined US Assure Club at EverBank FieldAugust 1, 2016
- ^"Jacksonville Jaguars pick HOK as consultant for TIAA Bank Field design".
- ^Kerr, Jeff (May 11, 2023)."Jaguars may be forced out of home stadium for two years as TIAA Bank Field undergoes renovations".CBS Sports.
- ^auerlein, David (May 11, 2023)."Jaguars could play two seasons away from EverBank Stadium during stadium renovations, mayor says".The Florida Times-Union.CBS Sports.
- ^Bauerlein, David."Jaguars unveil" stadium of the future "whose cost could hit $1.4 billion".Florida Times-Union.RetrievedSeptember 6,2023.
- ^"Bank on him: Jags stadium gets Trevor makeover".ESPN.September 12, 2024.RetrievedSeptember 12,2024.
- ^"1995 Jacksonville Jaguars Media Guide"(PDF).Jacksonville Jaguars. 1995. p. 154. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 20, 2016.RetrievedAugust 21,2016.
- ^"2003 Jacksonville Jaguars Media Guide"(PDF).Jacksonville Jaguars. 2003. p. 345. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 20, 2016.RetrievedAugust 21,2016.
- ^"2005 Jacksonville Jaguars Media Guide"(PDF).Jacksonville Jaguars. 2005. p. 362. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 20, 2016.RetrievedAugust 21,2016.
- ^"2010 Jacksonville Jaguars Media Guide"(PDF).Jacksonville Jaguars. 2010. p. 262. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 20, 2016.RetrievedAugust 21,2016.
- ^Barrabi, Thomas (November 10, 2014)."NFL London Ticket Sales: $32M Revenue From Wembley Stadium Sellout Crowds, Report Says".International Business Times.RetrievedAugust 21,2016.
- ^Stellino, Vito (September 2, 2015)."Jaguars Got Better TV Ratings for Two Home Preseason Games Than for Road Game".The Florida Times-Union.Jacksonville. Archived fromthe originalon December 6, 2016.RetrievedAugust 21,2016.
- ^Carlyon, Hays (August 1, 2016)."Jaguars Unveil Re-Imagined EverBank Field with $26.6 million US Assure Club Renovation".The Florida Times-Union.Jacksonville, Florida.RetrievedAugust 21,2016.
- ^Moss, Corey (April 5, 2001)."'NSYNC PopOdyssey Tour Dates Change ".MTV News.Archived fromthe originalon January 4, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 9,2009.
- ^Wyland, Sarah (October 28, 2014)."Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean Merge Tours for Stadium Shows".GAC.RetrievedNovember 1,2014.
- ^Szaroleta, Tom (June 4, 2018)."3 more acts added".The Florida Times-Union.RetrievedAugust 28,2018.
- ^Kaufman, Gil (May 16, 2019)."Rolling Stones Announce Rescheduled North American Tour Dates".Billboard.RetrievedJuly 3,2019.
- ^"The Stadium Tour".May 17, 2021.
External links
edit
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Inaugural venue
|
Home of the Jacksonville Jaguars 1995 – present |
Succeeded by Current
|
| Preceded by | Host of the TaxSlayer Bowl 1995 – present |
Succeeded by Current
|
| Preceded by | Host of theSuper Bowl 2005 (XXXIX) |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by first stadium
|
Host of the ACC Championship Game 2005–2007 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host ofAFC Championship Game 2000 |
Succeeded by |
