Florida/Georgia Game

[KenFSU]

There has always been a cost to erect temporary seating for the FL/GA game.  It has, up until this year, been in the $660k-700k range. 

Starting this year it has jumped to just over $1M, but that has little to do with the pools and everything to do with the schools' (Yeah, that's plural) request for upgrading seating that included backs and cupholders instead of the traditional bench seating that has been good enough up to this point.  But why risk losing the game over a couple hundred thousand dollars?  Placate the schools and get them to extend the contract for another 10-12 years in 2016, because during the next round of negotiations, we're going to be bidding against a newly constructed stadium in the suburbs of Atlanta.

Too bad that the actual reasons that things happen don't matter nearly as much as the perceived reasons.

The schools wanted what was taken out to be put back. Chair backs, it was not an upgrade

Sort of. From my understanding, 6,000 temporary bleacher seats are usually installed for the Florida-Georgia game. These seats do not have chair backs or cup holders. When the stadium was renovated, 6,000 more seats (with chair backs and cup holders) were removed. Both universities have now demanded that all 12,000 temporary seats have chair backs and cup holders. The city isn't contractually obligated to comply, but like NRW mentioned, why risk upsetting the schools this close to the contract coming back up for renewal?

Also worth noting that the city is paying an extra $250,000 to expedite the installation due to a "tightened schedule." Not sure what the specifics are or if this could have been avoided.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Not to mention I believe we will be paying over 1 million per season to convert the Baseball Grounds for the Armada.  The Fla/GA game has way more impact economically than the entire season of Armada will have so I think the 1.6 million or whatever it is a good investment in comparison.

Not a soccer fan here, but I'd have to disagree with you. 

The couple of matches that have been held at Everbank have been tremendous boosts for the city.  And while the Armada probably won't have that kind of daily attendance, it will have the benefit of longevity and continuity.  The opposing teams will have to travel; their fans will have to travel.  Because of that I would believe that their financial benefits will outweigh the upfront costs.

And again, when dealing with all sports, it's more or less a QoL expense opposed to a direct one.  It gives us an opportunity to bring people into the city that normally wouldn't come, and it gives the city an opportunity to showcase itself to it's own citizens that normally wouldn't enter that downtown area as well.

[Tacachale]

There has always been a cost to erect temporary seating for the FL/GA game.  It has, up until this year, been in the $660k-700k range. 

Starting this year it has jumped to just over $1M, but that has little to do with the pools and everything to do with the schools' (Yeah, that's plural) request for upgrading seating that included backs and cupholders instead of the traditional bench seating that has been good enough up to this point.  But why risk losing the game over a couple hundred thousand dollars?  Placate the schools and get them to extend the contract for another 10-12 years in 2016, because during the next round of negotiations, we're going to be bidding against a newly constructed stadium in the suburbs of Atlanta.

Too bad that the actual reasons that things happen don't matter nearly as much as the perceived reasons.

The schools wanted what was taken out to be put back. Chair backs, it was not an upgrade

Sort of. From my understanding, 6,000 temporary bleacher seats are usually installed for the Florida-Georgia game. These seats do not have chair backs or cup holders. When the stadium was renovated, 6,000 more seats (with chair backs and cup holders) were removed. Both universities have now demanded that all 12,000 temporary seats have chair backs and cup holders. The city isn't contractually obligated to comply, but like NRW mentioned, why risk upsetting the schools this close to the contract coming back up for renewal?

Also worth noting that the city is paying an extra $250,000 to expedite the installation due to a "tightened schedule." Not sure what the specifics are or if this could have been avoided.

"Tightened schedule" meant the mayor's office screwed up again and didn't factor in exactly what was going to be needed. Similar to the "emergency measures" brought on by the mayor after they let the water taxi leases expire. It shouldn't be quite so expensive in the future. But yes, it will always be more expensive from here on, since there are twice as many seats to add, and it looks like we'll be doing the nicer backed seats.

[edjax]

^^ I was not saying it was not good business to do what the city will be doing for the Armada. Not really sure what the prior soccer events at Everbank has to do with the one million annual figure to reconfigure the Baseball Grounds for a soccer pitch. My point is I think both are legitimate expenditures, but I still think the fla/ga game will continue to have much more economical impact in the region than the Armada. And yes Armada hopefully will have longevity, but the football game has already proven its longetivity.  Btw my guess is the Armada will be thrilled if they were to average 9000 per match.

[mtraininjax]

The 12,000 replacement seats were quoted as costing 1.3 million per the city of Jacksonville documents, released a month before the FL/GA game.

[I-10east]

More talk of this game potentially leaving for ATL or Tampa of all places... I don't think that this game is going anywhere. Oh and yeah, them Dawgs took a thrashing.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/is-floridageorgia-going-to-stay-in-jax/36159478

[acme54321]

The only place this game would ever go but JAX is Gainesville or Athens.  It's been played here for nearly a hundred years, anywhere else and it wouldn't be the same.  End of story. 

[BridgeTroll]

Was the pool open?

[JaxAvondale]

Was the pool open?

The pools were closed due to the addition of the temporary seating.

[RattlerGator]

So sorry to disappoint the "Anybody but Florida" crowd but that was an epic beating. Epic !!!

[tufsu1]

^ An epic beating...really?  If the UF offense plays like that against a team with ANY scoring ability, they may have a problem.

[BridgeTroll]

The only thing epic was the offences futility.

[MusicMan]

Georgia is bad.  The Gators have one quality win. ONE. Versus Ole Miss.

East Carolina 4-5
Tennessee 4-4
Missouri 4-4
Kentucky 4-4
They lost to LSU.

[ProjectMaximus]

Georgia is bad.  The Gators have one quality win. ONE. Versus Ole Miss.

East Carolina 4-5
Tennessee 4-4
Missouri 4-4
Kentucky 4-4
They lost to LSU.

Really? Wow. FSU opponents right now.

Texas St 2-6
USF 4-4
BC 3-6
Wake Forest 3-6
Miami 5-3
Louisville 4-4
L Ga Tech 3-6
Syracuse 3-5

That's a combined 27-40.

[MusicMan]

As a courtesy I left out New Mexico State (1-7). A quality win.