Major League Soccer will come Downtown to EverBank Field for at least the next three years, Mayor Alvin Brown announced Tuesday.
The agreement will bring the Philadelphia Union, one of 19 MLS teams and one of 10 from the Eastern Conference, to Jacksonville to face a to-be-announced team for a match at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15, the first of the three.
"Jacksonville has shown a strong interest in soccer. Just ask the 45,000 fans who broke a Southeast attendance record last May for the U.S. Men's National Team match at EverBank Field," said Brown.
"The city's partnership with Philadelphia Union poses an incredible opportunity to expand our portfolio of events and create an unforgettable experience that enlivens our Downtown and strengthens our heartbeat as a city," he said.
The Union is one of the younger MLS franchise and was the 16th team awarded in 2008. According to the news release announcing the agreement, a public-private partnership between the team, Pennsylvania, Delaware County and City of Chester enabled the construction of the team's facility and convinced MLS officials that the Philadelphia region deserved a team.