City officials and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan are pitching the idea of hosting a College Football Playoff game at TIAA Bank Field.
Before City Council voted 18-0 on Dec. 14 to extend its agreement with Gator Bowl Sports Inc. to host the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl through 2026, Finance Committee Chair Ron Salem said the deal could position the annual game as a candidate for the College Football Playoff.
“I think the backstop of this bill will allow the Gator Bowl to show the college football world that we’re here and we’re ready to host one of these big games,” Salem said.
“And I hope over the next four or five years that becomes a reality.”
The city will lease the stadium to the Gator Bowl while providing no more than $4.8 million in financial support to the game.
During a Dec. 13 meeting with local and national media, Khan said renovating the city-owned stadium would make Jacksonville more attractive for college playoff organizers.
“The college playoff is going to be expanding. We got to have a stadium that qualifies for that,” Khan said. “There’s no reason we can’t have Jacksonville get into the mix.”