Florida AD open to Jaguars temporarily playing in Gainesville

Florida AD Scott Stricklin Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Florida AD open to Jaguars playing in Gainesville during renovation

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 5/11/23

The Jacksonville Jaguars are planning a full renovation of TIAA Bank Field within the next few years, one which could force them into a rather unusual arrangement.

Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday that the Jaguars may have to play home games elsewhere for two seasons -- possibly in 2025 and 2026 -- due to the renovation. The idea appears to be that the Jaguars would find an alternate site in the city to play games while the renovations are ongoing.

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin, however, had a concept of his own. Stricklin said that he would like to look into hosting Jaguars games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, citing its relative proximity to Jacksonville.

Florida AD Scott Stricklin, on hosting Jaguar games at The Swamp during Jacksonville's stadium renovation: "It would be worth exploring hosting games at The Swamp. There are a lot of Jags fans in Gainesville given the close proximity to Jacksonville." #Gators

— KevinBrockwayGators (@KevinBrockwayG1) May 11, 2023

The Swamp has the facilities to handle an NFL game. Its seating capacity is 88,548 -- actually higher than that of the current TIAA Bank Field. Whether the Jaguars could sell out The Swamp, though, probably depends on how successful and relevant they will are in two years.

This might be something the Jaguars want to explore, though. At its best, the Swamp can really throw off an opponent and it might be a nice boost for the team if they have to play games there.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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