by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Fans attending Jacksonville Jaguars games next year will see some big changes at Alltel Stadium. In addition to the usual influx of new players — every NFL team experiences roster changes from one season to the next — and the possibility the team may have new leadership, the other changes will be dramatic and permanent.
The south end zone is getting a major overhaul and the stadium will undoubtedly be easier to enter and exit thanks to the addition of elevators and escalators in each corner of the stadium.
Jaguars vice president/chief financial officer Bill Prescott said construction is right on schedule and everything should be done in time for the 2003 season.
Six new escalators — two in the north end zone and four in the south end zone — will allow fans better access to the stadium. With most of the structural steel now in place, the escalators will be one of the first renovations to be completed.
“The escalators will carry fans to the main concourses and the new terrace level,” said Prescott.
By far, the biggest change fans will see is the new terrace in the south end zone. At 16,000 square feet, the terrace will feature a sports bar sponsored by Budweiser, 50 plasma TV screens and 700 premium seats.
“Right now, our plan is open the terrace on game days and when there are other events at Alltel Stadium,” said Prescott.
However, with 50 televisions in a sports bar setting with the field as a backdrop, Prescott said the team may consider opening on Saturday so college football fans can congregate and watch their favorite team.
“We may lease it out on non-game days,” said Prescott. “We’ll experiment with our [Jaguars] TV shows and radio broadcasts.”
Prescott is referring to “Jaguars End Zone” on Monday night on Ch. 4 with sports director Sam Kouvaris and Jaguars safety Donovin Darius. The post-game radio show, “The Fifth Quarter,” with Cole Pepper, Pete Banaszak and Jaguars players is broadcast from the West Club section. Next season, both shows may originate from the new terrace section.
“We’ve had tremendous luck with that show with Pete and Cole,” said Prescott, adding that some post-game crowds have been so big they barely fit in the Club section. And, Prescott says, the current sound system leaves a lot to be desired. “The show fits in better in the south end zone.”
Perhaps the most alluring aspect of the terrace will be its accessibility. Fans wishing to attend “The Fifth Quarter” have to leave the stadium and then re-enter. Next year, every ticketed fan, regardless of their seat, will have access to the terrace anytime before, during and after the game. Prescott and the Jaguars believe this creates both an attraction and a fan-friendly atmosphere. With plenty of TVs and concession stands, the south terrace may become the most popular hangout at Alltel.
Prescott says the terrace will also enable fans to do something they can’t do right now.
“You will be able to see the field from the terrace,” said Prescott. “Right now, all the concession stands are tucked away. When you leave the bowl, you lose your connection with the field. We got the idea for the design of the terrace from baseball stadiums where you don’t lose contact with the field if you leave your seat.”
All the changes will also mean a larger seating capacity for Alltel, but not by much. The 700 new premium seats in the south terrace will be countered by the removal of 350-400 seats in the southeast corner for the purpose of creating a larger tunnel to provide better field access for workers setting up non-football events in the stadium. Stages for concerts, especially, will be easier to set up because bigger trucks will be able to get into the stadium.
However, the new capacity of about 73,300 will actually help the team avoid blackouts in the future. The 700 premium seats won’t count and the removal of 350-400 blackout-related seats will lower the team’s blackout number.
Prescott said the renovations and seating capacity have all been approved by the NFL and have no bearing on the 2005 Super Bowl.
“That’s all that’s really required and what we’ve committed for the Super Bowl,” said Prescott. “We have put the press box relocation on hold for now and that wasn’t part of the Super Bowl bid. The rest of the improvements for next year are exterior. We are moving the gates farther away from the stadium for security purposes and, hopefully, we will still relocate the practice fields to the site of old Wolfson Park.”