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$5.6bn NFL team set to relocate 150 miles away to 90-year-old stadium as league’s decision looms
The Jacksonville Jaguars are temporarily vacating EverBank Stadium as it undergoes huge renovations.
With the stadium overhaul expected to be completed by August 2028, it has long been expected that the Jaguars will play their home games at a neutral site in Orlando for the 2027 NFL season.
This is because EverBank, which opened in 1995, has already begun its $1.4 billion renovations on their ‘stadium of the future’, which will see a limited capacity of 43,500 fans for the 2026 campaign.
But a proposed move to 60,000-seater Camping World Stadium in the West Lakes neighborhood in Downtown Orlando, 150 miles south of the Jags’ current home, for the following year has yet to be formally approved by the NFL.
However, a vote is expected to take place among team owners at the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday to determine where the Jaguars’ home for the 2027 season will be.
Leaders from both Orlando and Orange County – who have reportedly invested $11 million in incentives in their efforts to lure the team – are also expected to travel to Phoenix to monitor the league’s vote.
Although the Camping World Stadium is the leading frontrunner to land the Jaguars on what is essentially a one-year rental, the 80,000-capacity University of Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville is also still not entirely ruled out of contention, albeit unlikely.
NFL owners must have a 75-percent approval in the vote in order for the Jaguars to be able to move.
The Jaguars are coming off a hugely impressive 2025 NFL 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.
The stadium’s ambitious renovations are set to include a reflective roof which bids to cover an estimated 90 percent of the its 63,000 seating, though 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.
Camping World Stadium renovation deadline
Camping World Stadium has been a short-term home for multiple professional sports teams over the years, including MLS outfit 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 Rodriguez, and 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.
All works, though, are projected to be completed in time for the Jags’ expected move-in date of the 2027 NFL season.
“You’re talking about somebody who needs a place to play for a year. Our community is set up for that, and this new building will be ideal,” Steve Hogan, CEO of Florida Citrus Sports, told News6 in February.
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“We just have to meet the construction schedule, and we will.”
In anticipation of what has been dubbed a “major announcement” in light of the NFL owners’ vote on Tuesday, Florida Citrus Sports are hosting a watch party, which includes food trucks and live entertainment, at City Hall Plaza from 5pm to 7pm.
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