The Jacksonville-Duval County Tourist Development Council on Thursday approved $500,000 in grants for the 2014 Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl and subsequent annual grants for the game, totaling $3.2 million through 2020.
Of the $500,000 for the 2014 game, $350,000 will be used to supplement the team payout expense and $150,000 will fund a national advertising campaign on ESPN during the New Year’s Day football game.
Subsequent-year grants were awarded at $400,000 for the 2015 game, with the amount escalating $20,000 each year through 2020.
The Gator Bowl Association has a participating-team agreement with the Southeastern Conference and another with the Big 10 Conference, which is set to expire after the 2014 game.
Rick Catlett, association CEO and executive director, said the association is “significantly increasing” its team payout as part of negotiating a multi-year contract with a new college football conference or conferences beginning with the 2015 game. The association paid out $7 million to teams for the 2013 game.
He said he was not at liberty to discuss negotiations regarding Gator Bowl conferences or schools that could play in the game, but did say “there might be a school out of South Bend involved.”
The University of Notre Dame, located in South Bend, Ind., for many years had the option to play in the Gator Bowl.
The grant request for the 2015-20 games was $400,000 per year, $100,000 less than what it received Thursday and last year.
Catlett said the difference would be made through title sponsor fees and local ticket sales.
“We know we will take a hit in the early years, but we will make it up in the later years,” he said.
Tourist Development Council member Sonny Bhikha cast the only vote against the grant package.
He said $500,000, or even $400,000 is “too much to spend” each year.
“I have a hard time spending this amount of money for one day,” Bhikha said.
Bhikha said attendance at the game has decreased each year for the past three years, from 68,000 in 2011 to 48,000 in 2013.
Catlett said though the number of tickets sold has dropped for the past three Gator Bowls, one game sold 85,000 tickets and the average attendance is 65,000 over the past 20 years.
“Sometimes you hit a home run, sometimes you have a failure,” Catlett said.
Council member Fred Pozin said the Gator Bowl’s economic impact stretches beyond game day and the influx of visitors to book hotel rooms is needed immediately after the Christmas holiday.
The TV exposure also can have marketing benefits year-round.
“It’s a multiple-day opportunity during a very soft period and the nation sees Jacksonville in the sunshine when the rest of the country is cold,” Pozin said.
City Council President Bill Bishop, Tourist Development Council chairman, agreed with the grant amount.
“It’s a signature event with a long history. I think it’s money well spent,” said Bishop said.
The council also approved a $90,000 grant for the Oct. 30-Nov. 2 Florida-Georgia Classic football weekend.
Tonisha Landry-Gaines, City manager of special events, said the funds will be used to create a new logo identity for the event and for banners, marketing and advertising.
Part of the grant will fund six “Sideline Safety Zones” Downtown to provide lost and found, first aid and transportation services to fans, she said.
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