Sports in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, the most populous city in Florida with an estimated 961,739 residents according to the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023, holds a distinctive position in American sports geography. The city supports three professional franchises — the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, Triple-A baseball's Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, and ECHL hockey's Jacksonville Icemen — alongside a calendar of nationally prominent recurring events: the Florida–Georgia college football rivalry game, the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, and THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in adjacent Ponte Vedra Beach. Jacksonville hosted Super Bowl XXXIX on February 6, 2005, placing it among only three Florida cities — alongside Miami and Tampa — to have hosted the event, per Topend Sports. As of 2025, the city is in the midst of its largest-ever sports infrastructure investment: a $1.4 billion renovation of EverBank Stadium, the city-owned NFL venue, with completion scheduled for August 2028.
Professional Teams
The Jacksonville Jaguars are the city's flagship professional franchise. The NFL awarded the expansion franchise on November 30, 1993, after the community partnership Touchdown Jacksonville! was organized on August 17, 1989 to pursue an NFL bid, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Under head coach Tom Coughlin, the Jaguars reached the AFC Championship game in both 1996 and 1999, and NFL Football Operations documents that the team became the first expansion franchise to finish with a .500-or-better record in its inaugural division season.
The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp serve as the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins and play at VyStar Ballpark in downtown Jacksonville. MiLB.com documents the ballpark's capacity at approximately 11,000. The franchise's schedule and roster information are maintained through Minor League Baseball's official site.
The Jacksonville Icemen compete in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). According to the ECHL's official site, the Icemen opened their first season on October 14, 2017, playing home games at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in downtown Jacksonville.
Major Sports Venues
EverBank Stadium is the city-owned NFL venue and the central hub of Jacksonville's sports calendar. Beyond Jaguars home games, the stadium hosts the annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and serves as the neutral site for the Florida–Georgia rivalry game. The EverBank naming rights are confirmed through the 2027 NFL season, per Yahoo Sports. The stadium is currently undergoing a comprehensive renovation described in detail in the Stadium of the Future section below.
VyStar Ballpark, located in downtown Jacksonville, is the home of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. The ballpark holds approximately 11,000 spectators, according to MiLB.com.
VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, also in downtown Jacksonville, serves as the home ice for the Jacksonville Icemen, who have competed there since the franchise's inaugural game on October 14, 2017, per the ECHL.
TPC Sawgrass, situated in Ponte Vedra Beach immediately south of Jacksonville, is the permanent home of THE PLAYERS Championship. Owned by the PGA TOUR, the course first hosted the event in 1982 and was designed as the first Stadium Course — with landform contouring intended to maximize spectator sightlines — per TPC Sawgrass.
Landmark Recurring Events
The Florida–Georgia college football rivalry game has been hosted at EverBank Stadium since 1933, with limited exceptions, according to the official Florida-Georgia Classic history and UGA Online. The game is among the longest-running neutral-site rivalry games in college football.
The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl has been held continuously in Jacksonville since 1946, when Wake Forest defeated South Carolina 26-14 in the inaugural contest at Fairfield Stadium. According to NCAA.com, the Gator Bowl ranks as the sixth-oldest bowl game in NCAA FBS history. The event now takes place at EverBank Stadium.
THE PLAYERS Championship is held each March at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. The PGA TOUR's TPC Sawgrass site documents the course's 1982 inaugural hosting of the event. According to THE PLAYERS Championship's official site, the tournament has generated more than $120 million for Northeast Florida charities since its inception.
Stadium of the Future Renovation
The most significant current development in Jacksonville sports infrastructure is the $1.4 billion renovation of EverBank Stadium. In June 2024, the Jacksonville City Council approved the project in a 14-1 vote, as reported by ESPN. The approved agreement includes a 30-year lease and a non-relocation agreement for the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise.
Under the funding structure, the city is contributing $775 million in public funds and the Jaguars are providing $625 million, as documented by the Jax Daily Record in March 2026. That same month, the city issued what it described as the final and largest construction permit — valued at more than $696 million — marking a milestone in the project's execution. Construction began in early 2025.
According to the Jaguars' official Stadium of the Future site, the renovated venue is designed for a capacity of 62,000 for NFL games and 71,500 for college football games and concerts. Completion is scheduled for August 2028. During the 2026 NFL season, the Jaguars will continue to play home games at EverBank Stadium while construction proceeds around them.
Sports History in Jacksonville
Jacksonville's role as a sports host predates its NFL franchise by decades. The Florida–Georgia rivalry settled into Jacksonville as its home city beginning in 1933, according to the official Florida-Georgia Classic history, establishing a tradition that has continued — with limited interruptions — for more than ninety years. The Gator Bowl followed in 1946, with Wake Forest defeating South Carolina 26-14 at Fairfield Stadium in the bowl's inaugural edition, per NCAA.com.
The path to professional football in Jacksonville began on August 17, 1989, when the community partnership Touchdown Jacksonville! was formed to pursue an NFL expansion franchise, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The NFL awarded the franchise on November 30, 1993. The Jaguars played their first season in 1995 under head coach Tom Coughlin and, according to NFL Football Operations, became the first expansion team to post a .500-or-better record in its inaugural division season. The team reached the AFC Championship game in both 1996 and 1999, per the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Jacksonville hosted Super Bowl XXXIX on February 6, 2005, joining Miami and Tampa as the only Florida cities to have hosted the game, per Topend Sports. The Jacksonville Icemen brought professional hockey to the city when their inaugural season opened on October 14, 2017, at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, as documented by the ECHL.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2023 https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs Used for: Population (961,739), median age (36.4), median household income ($66,981), median home value ($266,100), poverty rate (15%), unemployment rate (4.5%), labor force participation (76.2%), total housing units, homeownership and renter rates, median gross rent, educational attainment
- City of Jacksonville — Official Site Historic Overview https://www.jacksonville.gov/welcome/featured-news/city-of-jacksonville-01-30-2024 Used for: Platted town established 1822, named after Andrew Jackson, first military governor of Florida Territory; city charter 1832; Great Fire of 1901
- City of Jacksonville Official Website https://www.jacksonville.gov/ Used for: Strong mayor form of government; 1968 consolidation; City Council structure — 19 members, 14 districts, 5 at-large
- Mayor Deegan Presents Proposed 2025-2026 Budget — Jacksonville.gov https://www.jacksonville.gov/welcome/news/mayor-deegan-s-budget-address-fy25-26 Used for: Donna Deegan as mayor; $2 billion general fund budget; $687 million capital investment in FY2025-2026
- Jacksonville Jaguars Team History — Pro Football Hall of Fame https://www.profootballhof.com/teams/jacksonville-jaguars/team-history Used for: NFL franchise awarded November 30, 1993; Touchdown Jacksonville! founded August 17, 1989; Tom Petway led group
- Jacksonville Jaguars — Pro Football Hall of Fame https://www.profootballhof.com/teams/jacksonville-jaguars/ Used for: Jaguars AFC Championship appearances 1996 and 1999; first of four straight post-season appearances
- Jacksonville Jaguars History — NFL Football Operations https://operations.nfl.com/learn-the-game/nfl-basics/team-histories/american-football-conference/south/jacksonville-jaguars/ Used for: Tom Coughlin as head coach; AFC Championship game appearances; first expansion team with .500-or-better division record in inaugural season
- Jacksonville approves $1.4B renovation of Jaguars stadium — ESPN https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40432558/jacksonville-city-council-approves-renovation-jaguars-everbank-stadium Used for: City Council 14-1 vote in June 2024 approving $1.4 billion EverBank Stadium renovation; 30-year lease and non-relocation agreement
- City issues 'final and largest' Stadium of the Future permit — Jax Daily Record https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2026/mar/01/city-issues-final-and-largest-stadium-of-the-future-permit-topping-696-million/ Used for: City contributing $775 million in public funding; Jaguars providing $625 million; final permit topping $696 million issued March 2026
- Jaguars Stadium of the Future — Jacksonville Jaguars Official Site https://www.jaguars.com/stadiumofthefuture/ Used for: Completion scheduled August 2028; Jaguars will play home games during 2026 NFL season; capacity 62,000 (NFL) and 71,500 (college football/concerts)
- City of Jacksonville set to approve naming rights deal with Jaguars — Yahoo Sports https://sports.yahoo.com/city-jacksonville-set-approve-naming-030210356.html Used for: EverBank naming rights confirmed through 2027 NFL season
- THE PLAYERS Championship Tournament — TPC Sawgrass (PGA TOUR) https://tpc.com/sawgrass/the-players-championship/ Used for: THE PLAYERS Championship held annually at TPC Sawgrass; course first hosted event in 1982; 'Stadium Course' design to optimize spectator viewing
- THE PLAYERS Championship Red Coats 2025 Community Grant Recipients — theplayers.com https://www.theplayers.com/news/2025/10/31/the-players-championship-red-coats-2025-community-grant-recipients Used for: THE PLAYERS Championship has generated more than $120 million for Northeast Florida charities since the tournament's inception
- History: Gator Bowl — NCAA.com https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2013-12-11/history-gator-bowl Used for: Gator Bowl established 1946 at Fairfield Stadium in Jacksonville; sixth-oldest bowl game; first game — Wake Forest over South Carolina 26-14
- History — Florida Georgia Classic (flgajax.com official site) https://flgajax.com/history/ Used for: Florida-Georgia rivalry game hosted in Jacksonville since 1933
- The History Behind the Georgia-Florida Rivalry — UGA Online https://online.uga.edu/news/history-behind-georgia-florida-rivalry/ Used for: Florida-Georgia rivalry settled in Jacksonville beginning in 1933
- Super Bowl Host Cities & Locations by Year — Topend Sports https://www.topendsports.com/events/super-bowl/hosts/index.htm Used for: Jacksonville hosted Super Bowl XXXIX; one of three Florida cities (Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville) to host the Super Bowl
- The Military And Defense Industry: An Economic Force — JAXUSA Partnership https://jaxusa.org/news/the-military-and-defense-industry-an-economic-force-in-the-u-s/ Used for: NAS Jacksonville employs 23,200 and contributes ~$1.2 billion annually in payroll; FRCSE workforce of 4,600
- JAXUSA Partnership — Jacksonville Economic Development https://jaxusa.org/ Used for: Jacksonville described as 'America's Logistics Center'; same-day access to 98 million consumers via JAXPORT
- Jacksonville Large Employers List — JAXUSA Partnership https://jaxusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Large-Employers-1.pdf Used for: Deutsche Bank Global Technology and Operations Center employing approximately 2,400 in Jacksonville
- Space & Defense Technologies — JAXUSA Partnership https://jaxusa.org/industry/advanced-manufacturing/space-and-defense-technologies/ Used for: Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Redwire Space as part of Jacksonville's space and defense technology cluster
- Florida's Military & Defense Industry — Powering Florida (Florida DEO) https://www.poweringflorida.com/explore-industries/military-defense.html Used for: Otto Aviation investing more than $430 million for Jacksonville manufacturing facility; 850,000-square-foot factory; 389 projected jobs
- Explore VyStar Ballpark, home of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp — MiLB.com / MLB.com https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/featured/explore-121-financial-ballpark-home-of-the-jacksonville-jumbo-shrimp Used for: VyStar Ballpark capacity approximately 11,000; Jumbo Shrimp franchise and venue details
- Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Schedule — Minor League Baseball (MiLB.com) https://www.milb.com/jacksonville/schedule Used for: Jumbo Shrimp as Jacksonville's Triple-A Minor League Baseball team
- Jacksonville Icemen — ECHL Official Site https://echl.com/teams/jacksonville-icemen Used for: Jacksonville Icemen first season opened October 14, 2017; ECHL franchise and affiliation details