Jaguars Stadium Construction Could Displace Team For 2 Years, Or Take 4 Years If Games Continue In Town
The Jacksonville Jaguars unveiled some amazing plans and renderings of a proposed refurbished TIAA Bank Field, pools included, on Wednesday and that was fun to see.
But there are questions.
Uncertainties.
And, as everything NFL, it involves a lot of money.
"Well, our schedule would have serious construction begin after the 2025 NFL season. So hopefully February of 2026," club president Mark Lamping said this in an interview with local TV station WJXT4. "And at that point it depends on how you approach construction."
Rendition of refurbished TIAA Bank Field from the inside. (Courtesy Jacksonville Jaguars).
Jaguars Consider Options For Construction
The Jaguars basically have two options: Build while playing at the stadium. Or build while they vacate their stadium for at least two seasons.
The option to leave Jacksonville for home games works this way: The Jaguars would begin construction in February, about 2 1/2 years from now and work straight through without pause so that all is done in time for the 2028 season.
Lamping calls that the "least disruptive, quickest and cheapest manner." It sounds like that is the leading option within club ownership and leadership.
But there is a problem.
It means the Jaguars don't play a home game in Jacksonville during the 2026 or 2027 seasons.
"You'd have to find someplace temporary to play in Jacksonville, which comes with a big price tag," Lamping admitted. "Probably over $125 million."
A general view shows the practice field with TIAA Bank Field in the background during the Jacksonville Jaguars mini camp at their practice facility on May 12, 2007 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
Jaguars Eye Orlando, Gainesville For Games
Finding an alternate facility, perhaps at the University of Jacksonville, would require the club investing in upgrades to facilities not ready to house an NFL game.
The displaced Jaguars could also move their home games to Gainesville, at the University of Florida's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, or to Orlando, which would make the approximately 60,000-seat Camping World Stadium, the Jaguars home.
Lamping, who mentioned Gainesville and Orlando specifically, describes each of these out-of-town options as offering a "closer to NFL ready stadium."
Keeping the Jaguars at their stadium as it is being refurbished, meanwhile, might be the choice among some fans that don't want to lose the opportunity to watch their home team in their home town.
Camping World Stadium in Orlando is being considered as a temporary venue to host Jacksonville Jaguars games (Photo by Armando Salguero).
Jaguars Staying Home Delays Construction
But that would require the construction at TIAA Bank Field to take four years instead of two, according to Lamping. It would require construction stoppages during the season, probably from September to late January or early February each year.
"You renovate during the offseason and then stop," Lamping said "Those games in those four years would be played in a stadium basically under construction. It keeps the games in downtown Jacksonville, but it comes with a hefty price tag."
Lamping estimates it would cost $190 million more to go the four-year route. And that, plus the longer timeline, are probably why the team's ownership seems to prefer temporarily moving out of town.
NFL teams do not typically leave town. Not for stadium renovations or even construction of new stadiums.
The Jets and Giants played at the old MetLife Stadium even as a new MetLife was built on an adjacent parking lot. The Buffalo Bills recently announced their new stadium project that will also rise nearby their current stadium.
The New MetLife Stadium was built adjacent to the old MetLife while as the Jets and Giants continued playing in the older stadium. (Photo by Armando Salguero).
Teams Build Or Refurbish Without Leaving
The Dolphins updated their stadium in two years, going so far as putting a new open-air canopy on the facility. The canopy protects fans from sun and rain while letting sun onto the grass field. The Dolphins estimated the project at $425 million but it exceeded $500 million.
But the Dolphins played in the stadium each season while construction paused.
The Green Bay Packers have undertaken gradual upgrades and renovations to Lambeau Field. They have nonthelesss played their game in the stadium each season.
The New Orleans Saints had to evacuate the city after Hurricane Katrina hit in August of 2005. They played home games at Louisiana State University's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. This was necessary because the hurricane battered the Super Dome.
The Super Dome closed for 13 months while major repairs and improvements were made. The Saints returned in September of 2006.