The University of North Florida might not have a football team, but during the Feb. 27 ceremonial opening of UNF’s new Flight Deck Esports and Innovation Arena, the Ospreys were beating the University of Central Florida in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
The Sony PlayStation that created that fantasy matchup was one of dozens of gaming consoles set up at the Flight Deck, constructed in UNF's John A. Delaney Student Union with $5 million in university and city funding. According to a UNF release, the arena includes 42 high-performance PC gaming stations, a built-in competition stage for live tournaments and team play, a broadcast studio space for live streaming and more.
City and university officials said the facility would help boost workforce development, education and tourism in Northeast Florida.
“This is not just fun and games, folks. This is our economy and this is our workforce,” Mayor Donna Deegan said during the ribbon cutting ceremony. “One of my top priorities is keeping our young people here in Jacksonville and attracting other young people to come… This is going to be a great way to do that.”
The city approved $3 million for the project in Ordinance 2025-0265, drawn from a $7.98 million pot of funds that the city “recaptured” after the 2023-24 fiscal year, meaning the money was not spent during that year.
The city’s funding for the UNF arena counted toward its portion of the $300 million community benefits agreement with the Jacksonville Jaguars, a companion to the $1.4 billion deal to transform EverBank Stadium into the team’s “Stadium of the Future.”
As part of that agreement, the city committed $40 million over 15 years countywide for workforce development, affordable housing and homelessness services. Another $40 million will go toward addressing those needs in the Eastside neighborhood adjacent to the stadium.
“When we do run government efficiently and we go below budget, we have money to then consider discretionary things like these that provide a labor market driver,” said Council member Will Lahnen, whose Council District 3 includes UNF’s campus.
UNF is expected to host several esports events over the next year with the Flight Deck’s opening, a university official said. Those include the Osprey Overwatch Invitational, which will host Florida schools in an Overwatch 2 tournament, and the National Association of College Esports national tournament and conference, which is expected to draw 200 to 300 attendees.
“This is truly an opportunity to get these people right here to the University of North Florida,” said Brian Verkamp, UNF’s vice president and chief information officer.