Here are more announcements by Jacksonville Jaguars President Mark Lamping at the State of the Franchise event Thursday at EverBank Field.
New stadium name
As part of TIAA’s purchase of Jacksonville-based EverBank, the stadium will be renamed TIAA Bank Field. “Fans will still be able to protect the bank,” said Blake Wilson, bank president and CEO. He said TIAA is committed to keeping its bank headquarters in Jacksonville. TIAA Bank and the Jaguars also announced they will contribute $1 million over the next five years to help build or repair homes in Northeast Florida.
Farewell to Skynyrd
Legendary Jacksonville Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd will headline a concert at the stadium Sept. 2 with Kid Rock and Jason Aldean. The concert is part of the “Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour” for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. April 30.
Dog park
The stadium will be gaining another swimming pool, but not for fans. Pet Paradise will build the NFL’s first stadium dog park. The 2,000-square-foot facility on the South Fan Deck will be modeled on other Pet Paradise locations and will include a pool for the canines. Fans can leave their pets at the park during the game or they can hang out there with them. “This is an innovative, one-of-a-kind facility,” said Pet Paradise CEO Fernando Acosta-Rua. “I don’t know of another like it anywhere in the world.”
Camp Grunt Style
The North End Zone will be rethemed with a military focus as Camp Grunt Style. The game-day military ceremonies will take place there. Fans also can take part in athletic challenges in the area. Illinois-based Grunt Style is a lifestyle and apparel company founded in 2009 by Daniel Alarik, a former Army drill sergeant. Forbes.com says Grunt Style sold almost $100 million in products in the three years leading up to 2017.
New uniforms
The Jaguars unveiled new uniforms featuring a “timeless, classic look” in colors of black, white and teal. The helmets are black. It was no surprise because signs featuring the new uniforms were installed Wednesday night at Jacksonville International Airport. Lamping said that was the Jaguars’ fault.
Now in Spanish
Citing a growing Hispanic market, Jaguars games will be broadcast in Spanish for the first time in 2018.
Ticket sales and revenue
The team sold 7,500 new season tickets during the off-season, the most since 2004. Revenue is up 11 percent from the 2017 fiscal year, but the team still ranks toward the bottom of the NFL. Part of the increased revenue came from non-football activities such as concerts at the Daily’s Place amphitheater and from Shad Khan’s entertainment company, Bold Events. Since May, 200,000 people saw shows at Daily’s Place and more events are planned this year.
Read more about the Jaguars and their plans for the area around TIAA Bank Field at https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/khans-new-neighborhood-dollar2-5-billion-vision-for-area-surrounding-stadium
