The Jaguars announced on Tuesday morning that the team would play two consecutive home games in London during the 2020 season. Here I'm going to run through some of the highlights of the announcement.
While the team will play back to back games at Wembley Stadium, they confirmed that games against the Steelers and Bears will be played at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. According to the team, the timing of the announcement was strategic. "The timing of this announcement is strategically aligned with the team's ambitious and big-picture plans for Jacksonville and, specifically, the planned Lot J development. When completed, Phase One of the proposed $500 million Lot J project in partnership with Cordish Companies would feature an entertainment district, a 200-room hotel, residential buildings offering 405 units, and additional parking." The Jaguars will reduce the cost of preseason games for season ticket members for the 2020 season by 50%. And the price of tickets the six regular-season home games for season ticket members will reduce by 5%, resulting in a total savings of 15% as compared to 2019 for STM. Quotes from Jaguars' owner Shad Khan: "First, I want to make it clear that our first priority is winning, and anything we do or say away from that will never be more important than giving Jacksonville a team that wins and the community can be proud to call its own," added Shad Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars. "We are committed first and foremost to winning, and that commitment drives me and everyone at the Jaguars every day." "We've also been honest about the importance of what playing games in London means to the vitality of the Jaguars as a franchise, and what a vibrant downtown means not only for the Jaguars, but for everyone who calls Jacksonville their home or maybe is thinking about coming here to live, raise a family, start a business or just spend more time here. I believe in what's possible for Jacksonville and am going to do whatever it takes to help the Jaguars and the City of Jacksonville to reach its full potential. What we plan for the 2020 season and maybe a bit longer is all about believing in what Jacksonville can ultimately become, all while continuing to further grow and develop partnerships and a fan following in London and throughout the UK that have turned out to be pretty remarkable." "This isn't about next season or the next few seasons in Jacksonville, but really about the next 10 years, 25 years and beyond. There is no better time than now to capitalize on the opportunity to play two home games in London, where we will continue to develop our loyal and growing fan base there and throughout the UK, during a period in which I will be focused heavily on creating a new downtown experience that we want, need and must have here. We have an exceptional opportunity right in front of us for Jacksonville to meet its potential and be the city I imagined we'd become when I arrived here in 2011. I am optimistic and believe it will happen." Stay tuned for more. Follow Jordan on Twitter for all the latest Jaguars news and analysis. |
