An investment firm that includes NFL Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow and the CEO of Chick-fil-A is developing a mixed-use district surrounding the proposed stadium for the Sporting Club Jacksonville soccer franchise.
The firm, Momentous Sports, identified itself in a Sept. 10 news release as a lead investor in the soccer club, whose name is commonly abbreviated to Sporting JAX.
In addition to Elway, Tebow and Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy, partners include former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles and Orlando-based Magnolia Hill Partners Family Office investments.
The release said the stadium development would include housing, retail and public gathering spaces. It is designed to be a “hub for both sports and community life.”
Momentous Sports plans to use the district as a model it will expand to other communities, where it plans to invest in both professional teams and the real estate surrounding their facilities.
“Owning a team is great. Owning the land under it? Even better,” Elway said in the release. “Momentous has a real strategy that combines both, and that is what drew me in. I have been around a lot of teams, buildings, and deals. Momentous is not just another sports investment platform. It is built by competitors, for competitors.”
Sporting JAX has not identified the site of its planned 15,000-seat stadium. Media reports have stated the team is considering dozens of locations, including a building at the former Regency Square Mall in the space once occupied by Sears along with adjoining property.
Blackwater Development of Lake City purchased the mall in April 2025, but that sale did not include the Sears store, Dillard’s Clearance Center or the Impact Church, which are separately owned.
The team is an expansion franchise in the United Soccer League. It has partnered with Florida Elite’s youth soccer academy, creating a system that supports more than 12,000 young players across the region.
Momentous was founded by Marley Hughes, CEO of Magnolia Hill Partners. Cathy’s involvement is through Four Stones, his private real estate investment office.
Other members include Scott Friedman, former president of online broker Robinhood, and FS Investments co-founder John Shain. FS, now Future Standard, has $86 billion in assets under management, according to the release.
The firm is exploring opportunities in multiple professional teams and mixed-use projects in both the U.S. and Europe, the release said, and has been in conversations with groups involved in recent MLB and NBA team transactions.
Tebow said in the release that the firm “is about creating opportunities for athletes, families, and communities to be part of something that lasts.”