Ladies and gentlemen, lace your cleats?
It's possible that if the Jacksonville Jaguars relocate for home games during proposed renovations to TIAA Bank Field, they could end up playing at Daytona International Speedway.
According to a report from The Daytona Beach News-Journal, officials from NASCAR, Daytona and the Jaguars are expected to meet soon to discuss the possibility of games potentially being relocated to the famed racetrack. Track president Frank Kelleher confirmed that the meeting would be in Jacksonville and that he would be in attendance.
"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."
Jaguars president Mark Lamping confirmed this week to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer that the team is exploring Daytona as a possible venue and will meet with speedway officials in "the next week or two."
Daytona is just one possible location to host Jaguars games if the team begins proposed renovations for a new stadium, a process that would be expected to take two years. The franchise also reportedly has had conversations with the University of Florida to possibly play at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as well as with officials in Orlando to consider playing at Camping World Stadium.
Daytona International Speedway has a seating capacity of 101,500 for racing events and is roughly 90 miles from downtown Jacksonville. But that capacity likely would be reduced significantly for football, Kelleher indicated.
"The number of grandstand seats with good visibility would probably be more in the 45,000 to 50,000 range," he said, although that number doesn't include several VIP suites. There also could be temporary seating erected within the current structure to accommodate more fans.
TIAA Bank Field has a capacity of 67,814 and is expandable to 82,000. The Jaguars averaged 63,637 fans per home game last season (not counting the Week 8 London "home" game against the Broncos).
Daytona has hosted football games before, including high-school games in the 1950s and college football in the 1970s, as well as select non-racing sports events. Back in 2014, former track president Joie Chitwood expressed interest in once again playing college football games there.
The Jaguars could agree to a four-year renovation plan, which would allow the team to play home games at TIAA Bank Field while stadium construction was ongoing. But that plan would reportedly add an additional $190 million to the cost of the project.
The franchise's lease with Jacksonville runs through the 2029 NFL season. The Jaguars have said they hope to reach a deal with the city by next March and present the proposal to the rest of the league at the Spring League Meeting in May 2024. If approved, stadium construction could begin as early as following the 2025 season.
