Jacksonville Jaguars Could Play at Popular NASCAR Track During Stadium Renovations

By Brian Jones

The Jacksonville Jaguars recently released plans to renovate their home stadium, a project that would take two years to complete. If it's approved, the Jaguars would likely have to play their games at a new location, and a popular NASCAR track is in the running. Daytona International Speedway president Frank Kelleher told the Daytona Beach News-Journal last weekend that he and Jaguars representatives will meet soon to discuss potentially playing at the facility that holds over 101,000 fans. Daytona International Speedway is 92 miles south of the Jaguars' current stadium TIAA Bank Field. 

"This opportunity is something the France family [which owns NASCAR] and the entire Daytona International Speedway staff is excited to explore," Kelleher said. "But we need to first sit down with [the Jaguars] and understand what their needs are."  

The Jaguars have also had conversations with the University of Florida to possibly play at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, per ESPN. The team also spoke to officials in Orlando to potentially play at Camping World Stadium. If the Jaguars do play at Daytona International Speedway more than 101,000 seats would not be available for games. Kelleher said, "The number of grandstand seats with good visibility would probably be more in the 45,000 to 50,000 range."

Another option would allow the Jaguars to agree to a four-year renovation plan and play their games at TIAA Bank field while stadium constriction was ongoing. However, that would reportedly add an additional $190 million to the project. Currently, the cost of the proposed renovation is $2 billion. 

The Jaguars' lease with the city of Jacksonville expires after the 2029 season, and the team wants to reach a deal with the city by March 2024. If that happens, construction could begin after the 2025 season. "We have reached the end of this important and initial phase of this project, the design of the stadium we envision will be the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars and serve our entire community for generations to come," Jaguars team owner Shad Khan said. "From stadium discussions starting in 2016 to the formal process launched in July 2020 and now concluding, our objective has always been the same – lock in a promising future for the Jaguars and help our downtown become an economic engine to lift all of Jacksonville, particularly areas that have been underserved."

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