by Fred Seely
Editorial Director
The first step is a week away for the City’s bid to retain a major football championship.
The deadline is next Friday at 5 p.m. for Jacksonville’s formal bid to again have the Atlantic Coast Conference championship. And the officials of the Gator Bowl Association, which is leading the effort, are close to finishing their proposal.
Mayor John Peyton and Bowl officials will have a press conference Tuesday to review the City’s bid.
Four cities are expected to make bids for any or all games from 2008-10. Jacksonville had the first two and is on a one-year contract for this year’s game on Dec. 1; other bids are expected from Tampa, Orlando and Charlotte.
ACC Commissioner John Swofford said it’s undecided if the next contract will be with one city or if the game will be rotated among several.
Jacksonville’s bid will be for all three years.
The ACC’s Associate Commissioner for Football, former Jacksonville resident Michael Kelly, said it is undetermined of site visits will be made. A decision is expected shortly after this year’s game.
The Request for Proposal (RFP) from the conference is a 172-page document detailing the requirements for the week ranging from hotel rooms to stadium signage to meeting facilities.
Coincidentally, Kelly will be in town Tuesday to met with Tuesday to meet with the media, but isn’t expected to get to the stadium until the Peyton-Gator Bowl press conference ends.
Kelly will be in town to meet with local media members to review guidelines for the game and discuss what some local broadcasters and writers feel have been poor communications from the conference.