A.G. Gancarski
In November, Jacksonville Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan made one of his most profound statements about the future of football in Northeast Florida.
“Obviously football … there’s a limited demand for it,” Khan told his team’s website regarding playing games overseas.
“That’s why we’re playing the games here in London — that the community can’t support selling out eight games, so maybe there’s something else we can do there for the hot-dog vendors, the hotel rooms, all the stakeholders who make a living off the game,” Khan added,
Among the issues spotlighted in November by Khan: a lack of hotels and a lack of fan interest, as fansite Big Cat Country spotlighted.
“The idea I had was, why don’t we sell the games we can in Jacksonville and then play a game and make a long-term commitment to London,” Khan said. “Which frankly, a lot of people thought was very crazy. But, I think it’s turned out to be great, and we need London to really have a stable franchise in Jacksonville.”
The Jaguars were on their way to yet another double-digit loss season as Khan made those statements, another ignominious campaign despite robust city investment in the franchise.
In recent years, Jacksonville taxpayers have authorized $88 million of city-funded capital improvements to the Jaguars’ stadium: $43 million for the world’s biggest scoreboard during the Alvin Brown administration, and under the Curry administration, half of a $90 million buy-in that secured a new amphitheater, a covered practice field, and club seat improvements.
To put that number in perspective, it would pay the contract of free agent bust Nick Foles in full.
Additionally, the state allocated $12.5 million for Jacksonville’s Talleyrand Connector, an ambitious reconfiguration of Hart Bridge offramps that would route traffic on surface streets by the stadium and toward the port. Jacksonville matched that state investment, and also got $25 million in federal money.
Despite tens of millions of dollars going to the franchise and related downtown investment schemes, the jury is clearly still out on franchise viability. The team ranks 28th in attendance league-wide, and the open question is whether that can change in this market.
Also open questions at this writing: whether the team expands its London commitment, seemingly at the expense of those capital investments, which also harnessed a good chunk of Mayor Lenny Curry‘s political capital in his tenure also.
No longer open: whether the team keeps head coach Doug Marrone and GM Dave Caldwell. Owner Shad Khan
Khan closed out the year with a media release, saying that “now is not the time to consider an overhaul of our organization.”
The final game of the year, a battle against the Colts, saw a late-arriving crowd that grew increasingly raucous as the Jaguars finished with 25 straight points.
Though nothing was on the line, the crowd got rowdier and rowdier as victory became assured, a coda for a frustrating year where playoff expectations were dashed seemingly as soon as Foles was handed back the starting gig.
Khan acknowledged that, “struck and impressed, but not surprised, by the strong showing of our fans Sunday at TIAA Bank Field.”
“The euphoria and passion was genuine and appreciated by everyone with our team, and that goes double for me. My sincere thanks to everyone. It was a moment that underlines the fact that nothing beats having a winning football team. It’s my obligation to deliver one to Jacksonville in 2020,” Khan said, striking familiar notes, as he has said much the same before.
Of course, there is one more game to be played in Jacksonville before the close of football season: the Gator Bowl.
Though there have been a number of down years of late (mid-list bowl games can be a tough draw), the 2020 contest between Tennessee and Indiana won’t be one of them.
“Both programs have exceeded our expectations,” Gator Bowl President Rick Catlett told the Florida Times-Union. “We knew what we were getting with Tennessee. But Indiana has been exceptional and has sold tickets better than any Big Ten team we’ve had in our game under the current contract, with the exception of Penn State.”
However, counting on bowl eligibility for either of those teams on a year-to-year basis is a risky bet.
For four decades now, Jacksonville has grown, and has looked for its viability to be confirmed by football … either the Gator Bowl becoming a major bowl (didn’t happen) or the Jaguars overcoming a small market and a run of bad teams so that the market can punch above its weight with attendance and revenue.
As 2020 begins, whether Jacksonville will ever get the validation city leaders have sought from big-time football is still an open question.
