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Gene Frenette: Jaguars want to keep one home game in London after $1.4 billion stadium upgrade

gene frenette, jacksonville florida times-union
·5 min read

In the wake of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville reaching a framework agreement on a $1.4 billion renovation of EverBank Stadium, there’s been some misguided speculation about how it might impact the team’s future in London.

This 11-year-old marriage of financial incentive and expanding the Jaguars’ brand overseas job isn’t going away any time soon. Regardless of how much extra money the Jaguars rake in from an upgraded stadium with pricier seating, the need to keep pace with bigger-market NFL franchises on the local revenue front remains a challenge.

For that reason, expect Jaguars owner Shad Khan to keep the tradition going of taking one home game across the pond for as long as the NFL is willing to let them do it.

The Jacksonville Jaguars tradition of playing one home game a year in London will likely continue on even after the $1.4 billion renovation to Everbank Stadium is completed by 2028.
The Jacksonville Jaguars tradition of playing one home game a year in London will likely continue on even after the $1.4 billion renovation to Everbank Stadium is completed by 2028.

When the agreement between the Jaguars and NFL expires after the 2024 season, look for a multi-year renewal that allows the Jaguars to keep playing one home game each year at Wembley Stadium.

If the schedule accommodates an away opponent to play the Jaguars in London in back-to-back weeks, as they did last year (Buffalo Bills) and will this season (Chicago Bears) at Tottenham Hotspur, the Jaguars certainly wouldn’t stand in the way of that scenario possibly playing out again.

But any chatter about the Jaguars possibly taking a second home game to London whenever the NFL goes to an 18-game schedule is as baseless as the long-since-dead speculation of Khan moving his team there.

Yes, the NFL is requiring every team to host one international game every four years, but that doesn’t mean the league would ask the Jaguars to take a second home game to the U.K. or anywhere else in any given season.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and his minions are too PR-conscious to compel the Jaguars to do that because they know it would only drive a wedge between the team and its Jacksonville area fan base.

Since taking bad teams to London in their first two years and getting handled badly by the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, the Jaguars are 4-3 at Wembley and 2-0 at Tottenham and seemingly getting more comfortable in their home away from home.

A lot of work has been done to encourage the U.K. fan base to develop an attachment to the Jaguars, as well as establishing the team brand in London. Khan and president Mark Lamping have no intention of severing that relationship even with a lavish stadium in place.

Besides, when the inevitability of an 18-game season arrives, the Jaguars’ fans will have eight home games in Jacksonville every year anyway.

There's also the consolation that losing one home game does save the Jaguars’ season-ticket holders 11-12 percent on their annual package, which is significant for some fans.

The bottom line is the Jaguars have a pretty good thing going by taking only one home game to London. There’s no valid reason to pull the plug.

Last thing Napier needs is litigation

On top of all the scrutiny facing Billy Napier this season, he didn’t need the optics of being targeted for a lawsuit by former quarterback recruit Jaden Rashada to intensify the drama surrounding Florida’s football program.

Florida coach Billy Napier, who has enough job security issues with the Gators struggling in his first two seasons, now has the distraction of a lawsuit filed by former quarterback recruit Jaden Rashada added to his plate.
Florida coach Billy Napier, who has enough job security issues with the Gators struggling in his first two seasons, now has the distraction of a lawsuit filed by former quarterback recruit Jaden Rashada added to his plate.

The lawsuit filed in Pensacola by Rashada’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, accuses Napier and Gators’ booster Hugh Hathcock of fraudulent misrepresentation and inducement for Florida reneging on a $13.5 million NIL deal, including Napier allegedly offering $1 million for Rashada to sign with UF. Rashada is seeking a jury trial and $10 million in damages.

“Wealthy alumni, consumed by their schools’ athletic programs, are taking advantage of young people by offering them life-changing sums of money, only to renege on their commitments,” said Hardin.

Rashada ended up backing off his UF commitment and went to Arizona State, only to transfer to Georgia, where he now figures to be fighting for a backup job behind Mandarin High product Carson Beck.

This litigation should be a minimal distraction for Napier, despite his shaky job security, but it’s not a good look for a third-year head coach already sitting on one of the hottest seats in the country.

Quick-hitting nuggets

When Xander Schauffele won the PGA Championship last week, it marked the ninth straight year that an American has taken home the Wannamaker trophy. That’s the longest USA streak in any golf major since Americans won 12 straight U.S. Open titles from 1982-93, a streak that was ended by South Africa’s Ernie Els at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. ..

The NFL waited 43 years after starting a 16-game season in 1978 to add a 17th game in 2021. Despite speculation about when the league might push it to 18 games, don’t expect that to happen any time before the Jaguars start playing in a likely renovated $1.4 billion Everbank Stadium in 2028. The NFL players’ union continues to have serious pushback on it. ...

Once again, Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney was the only Power 4 program to not use the transfer portal to supplement his roster. While his loyalty is somewhat admirable, does Swinney adjust his philosophy next year if the Tigers fail to make the 12-team playoff? My guess is, if that scenario plays out, he will have no other choice but to dip into the portal.

Gfrenette@jacksonville.com: (904) 359-4540; Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @genefrenette 

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: London calling: Jaguars want to continue one home game overseas with new stadium