Florida-Georgia Staying in Jacksonville
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The Florida-Georgia football game will remain in Jacksonville for the foreseeable future.
Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2016-mar-florida-georgia-staying-in-jacksonville
That's excellent news. Not only is it good for Jax, it's good for tradition. I think the setting is one of the things that helps make the game a special occasion.
No word on how they will compensate for the reduced capacity, or how much more it will cost the city?
QuoteThe Florida-Georgia game generated $35 million in economic impact to the City of Jacksonville in 2015, $2 million more than it did in 2014. Roughly 127,000 people visit Jacksonville annually for the game, accounting for 35,000 hotel room nights.
I hope this isn't a case of publicizing the expenses and privatizing the profits. Does the City get the money to pay the teams from the Hotel/Motel tax?
Quote from: Kerry on March 17, 2016, 09:23:00 AM
QuoteThe Florida-Georgia game generated $35 million in economic impact to the City of Jacksonville in 2015, $2 million more than it did in 2014. Roughly 127,000 people visit Jacksonville annually for the game, accounting for 35,000 hotel room nights.
I hope this isn't a case of publicizing the expenses and privatizing the profits. Does the City get the money to pay the teams from the Hotel/Motel tax?
The city pays the teams from ticket sales, afaik.
If that is the case, yeah! I used to live in place that is infamous for using the general fund to attract events that only delivered profits to a select few business people, so I am always cautious when it comes to stuff like this. It is like they use the City funds as their own personal customer generation machine and heaven forbid someone question them about it.
Once the amphitheater and the flex field are completed, the atmosphere around the game will only increase. It's already spectacular but will shine even more now.
It will be interesting to see how they manage to keep the capacity up. Our large capacity has always been one of the main draws for the schools in having the event here versus other places, and their stances in the contract negotiations are making it clear they don't want to lose it.
^My guess is the replacement for the club seats will be with non-club seats. The schools don't necessarily need all of the club seats.
Could they not just go a little taller with the temporaries?
^I'm sure they can, it's just not going to be cheap. And yeah, the schools care a lot less about the club seats than the Jags do. All tickets at FL-GA have a much higher profit margin than tix at the home stadiums, and I imagine the margins on the regular seats are better than those on the club seats.
Nothing signed yet, but negotiations under way for an extension beyond 2021, and the city feels confident that a deal will be reached soon.
https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2019/10/15/contract-extension-to-keep-florida-georgia-in.html?iana=hpmvp_jac_news_headline
Quote from: KenFSU on October 15, 2019, 08:51:52 AM
Nothing signed yet, but negotiations under way for an extension beyond 2021, and the city feels confident that a deal will be reached soon.
https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2019/10/15/contract-extension-to-keep-florida-georgia-in.html?iana=hpmvp_jac_news_headline
Great news.
Quote from: KenFSU on October 15, 2019, 08:51:52 AM
Nothing signed yet, but negotiations under way for an extension beyond 2021, and the city feels confident that a deal will be reached soon.
https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2019/10/15/contract-extension-to-keep-florida-georgia-in.html?iana=hpmvp_jac_news_headline
When signed I'll celebrate. While I'm not a big college football fan and haven't been downtown for Florida Georgia in a while, it's a big deal for the city and I've been concerned that the Landing fiasco would hurt this. Apparently the city has convinced both ADs that better days are ahead.
Or, maybe they just wrote both schools a giant check.
The schools and team's boosters ($$$) could care less about The Landing. I doubt it's existence, or lack thereof, has any impact on the game being hosted here. The only people that might miss it are the students and local yahoos.
Quote from: acme54321 on October 15, 2019, 11:19:00 AM
The schools and team's boosters ($$$) could care less about The Landing. I doubt it's existence, or lack thereof, has any impact on the game being hosted here. The only people that might miss it are the students and local yahoos.
Reality is that the absence of the Landing is probably viewed as more of a positive than a negative from the POV of the schools. Only bad things happen at the Landing.
Does anyone have any further details about the extension? JBJ story is behind a paywall. How many years are we talking about here?
Quote from: JBTripper on October 15, 2019, 12:24:45 PM
Quote from: acme54321 on October 15, 2019, 11:19:00 AM
The schools and team's boosters ($$$) could care less about The Landing. I doubt it's existence, or lack thereof, has any impact on the game being hosted here. The only people that might miss it are the students and local yahoos.
Reality is that the absence of the Landing is probably viewed as more of a positive than a negative from the POV of the schools. Only bad things happen at the Landing.
Does anyone have any further details about the extension? JBJ story is behind a paywall. How many years are we talking about here?
Sorry for the paywalled article.
Zero details in terms of duration or terms, just that the City wasn't happy with the last renewal coming down to the wire, and they're very close to proactively extending well beyond 2021.
This decision has 0% to do with the Landing.
UF wants to keep it here. I would say most with UGA do as well. Kirby Smart has insinuated that he wants to get rid of it because it takes a recruiting weekend from him. It would be MASSIVE news if they could extend this for a longer period that will probably outlast ol' Kirby.
Quote from: Ken_FSU on October 15, 2019, 12:58:13 PM
Quote from: JBTripper on October 15, 2019, 12:24:45 PM
Quote from: acme54321 on October 15, 2019, 11:19:00 AM
The schools and team's boosters ($$$) could care less about The Landing. I doubt it's existence, or lack thereof, has any impact on the game being hosted here. The only people that might miss it are the students and local yahoos.
Reality is that the absence of the Landing is probably viewed as more of a positive than a negative from the POV of the schools. Only bad things happen at the Landing.
Does anyone have any further details about the extension? JBJ story is behind a paywall. How many years are we talking about here?
Sorry for the paywalled article.
Zero details in terms of duration or terms, just that the City wasn't happy with the last renewal coming down to the wire, and they're very close to proactively extending well beyond 2021.
Read it earlier, but can't re-read now. Doesn't it say that the City is going to be increasing its payout to both schools as part of the extension?
I have not read it, but of course they are asking for an increased payout. I also think they could ask for anything and the mayor would agree to it, no questions or negotiation required.
On a hypothetical note, suppose the city divests itself of TIAA Bank Field . . . is it really a city asset or a liability? What if the Jags owned the stadium?
Quote from: Papa33 on October 15, 2019, 02:33:15 PM
I have not read it, but of course they are asking for an increased payout. I also think they could ask for anything and the mayor would agree to it, no questions or negotiation required.
On a hypothetical note, suppose the city divests itself of TIAA Bank Field . . . is it really a city asset or a liability? What if the Jags owned the stadium?
There has been quite a bit of posturing (mostly from Georgia) to go 50/50 between Atlanta and Jax, or home and home in Athens/Gville, or rotating all 4 locations. I don't think the Mayor or the City have much of a choice, other than to pay up.
Quote from: CityLife on October 15, 2019, 02:39:43 PM
Quote from: Papa33 on October 15, 2019, 02:33:15 PM
I have not read it, but of course they are asking for an increased payout. I also think they could ask for anything and the mayor would agree to it, no questions or negotiation required.
On a hypothetical note, suppose the city divests itself of TIAA Bank Field . . . is it really a city asset or a liability? What if the Jags owned the stadium?
There has been quite a bit of posturing (mostly from Georgia) to go 50/50 between Atlanta and Jax, or home and home in Athens/Gville, or rotating all 4 locations. I don't think the Mayor or the City have much of a choice, other than to pay up.
IMO the big threat is Atlanta, and the home-away thing is an idle threat. Regardless of the coaches or some boosters complaining about losing a recruiting weekend, or the site not being neutral, or whatever else, the schools are there for the money. And in the neutral site setup, they get a big payout every year, instead of less money every other year in a home-away setup. But Atlanta has most of the advantages of Jacksonville. Jax's main advantages now are a few thousand more seats and potentially, being more willing to pay out than Hotlanta.
Well, that and tradition, but we know how much the schools care about that.
Kirby wants to make it a home-and-home so that he doesn't lose that recruiting weekend every other year. The only thing stopping the schools from making that weekend a recruiting weekend every year is their own mutual agreement to not do that... so my guess is UGA will use that excuse to extract some extra cash out of Jacksonville and the game will remain here.
Florida-Georgia is a big deal for a lot of UGA's big-money, South Georgia boosters. This is "their game" and I don't think anybody in Athens is very serious about taking it away from them.
I hope it never leaves because there's something special about playing in Jacksonville that makes it a unique deal. Atlanta hosts at least two, sometimes 3-5 marquee, neutral-site games every year. Florida-Georgia would be just another game in Atlanta. Down here there is some mystique.
Quote from: Tacachale on October 15, 2019, 03:10:12 PM
Quote from: CityLife on October 15, 2019, 02:39:43 PM
Quote from: Papa33 on October 15, 2019, 02:33:15 PM
I have not read it, but of course they are asking for an increased payout. I also think they could ask for anything and the mayor would agree to it, no questions or negotiation required.
On a hypothetical note, suppose the city divests itself of TIAA Bank Field . . . is it really a city asset or a liability? What if the Jags owned the stadium?
There has been quite a bit of posturing (mostly from Georgia) to go 50/50 between Atlanta and Jax, or home and home in Athens/Gville, or rotating all 4 locations. I don't think the Mayor or the City have much of a choice, other than to pay up.
IMO the big threat is Atlanta, and the home-away thing is an idle threat. Regardless of the coaches or some boosters complaining about losing a recruiting weekend, or the site not being neutral, or whatever else, the schools are there for the money. And in the neutral site setup, they get a big payout every year, instead of less money every other year in a home-away setup. But Atlanta has most of the advantages of Jacksonville. Jax's main advantages now are a few thousand more seats and potentially, being more willing to pay out than Hotlanta.
Well, that and tradition, but we know how much the schools care about that.
ATL is not even a consideration. It is home and home or keep the tradition in Jax. Kirby has gotten a lot of push back from his folks though about wanting to move it to a home and home. He says it is about a recruiting weekend.
Quote from: FlaBoy on October 16, 2019, 09:45:22 AM
Quote from: Tacachale on October 15, 2019, 03:10:12 PM
Quote from: CityLife on October 15, 2019, 02:39:43 PM
Quote from: Papa33 on October 15, 2019, 02:33:15 PM
I have not read it, but of course they are asking for an increased payout. I also think they could ask for anything and the mayor would agree to it, no questions or negotiation required.
On a hypothetical note, suppose the city divests itself of TIAA Bank Field . . . is it really a city asset or a liability? What if the Jags owned the stadium?
There has been quite a bit of posturing (mostly from Georgia) to go 50/50 between Atlanta and Jax, or home and home in Athens/Gville, or rotating all 4 locations. I don't think the Mayor or the City have much of a choice, other than to pay up.
IMO the big threat is Atlanta, and the home-away thing is an idle threat. Regardless of the coaches or some boosters complaining about losing a recruiting weekend, or the site not being neutral, or whatever else, the schools are there for the money. And in the neutral site setup, they get a big payout every year, instead of less money every other year in a home-away setup. But Atlanta has most of the advantages of Jacksonville. Jax's main advantages now are a few thousand more seats and potentially, being more willing to pay out than Hotlanta.
Well, that and tradition, but we know how much the schools care about that.
ATL is not even a consideration. It is home and home or keep the tradition in Jax. Kirby has gotten a lot of push back from his folks though about wanting to move it to a home and home. He says it is about a recruiting weekend.
That's what Kirby's saying, but the schools will never go for home and home regardless of what he says. They lose too much money that way - the schools make probably triple in a neutral site every year than they make at home every other year. It's no more than a bargaining chip from Georgia (and perhaps Florida) to squeeze more money out of Jax. Atlanta is the real competition as they could offer pretty much everything Jax does.
Extended through 2023, potentially through 2025, pending council approval.
Good job from the city getting this buttoned up early.
https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2019/10/25/city-announces-florida-georgia-football-game-to.html?iana=hpmvp_jac_news_headline
From the T-U story, it sounds like the deal's through 2023, with a city option to keep the game in Jax through 2025.
What I like about this is that it locks the game in during all the major construction expected to take place between the Hart Bridge ramp removals and the Lot J stuff in the next five years.
Welcome to Rockville was a pretty significant casualty to the construction plans, glad it's not going to effect Florida-Georgia.
Well there's an odd op-ed to read in the local paper.
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2023/10/14/jaguars-stadium-renovations-good-time-to-rethink-fl-ga-game-in-jax/71118501007/
Very odd position to take against your own community. Also, questionable, considering the amount of cash we're giving UF to consider bringing a campus to town and the amount of money we throw into UF Health Jax annually.
What a kook. I bet he's fun at parties.
Quote from: Ken_FSU on October 14, 2023, 10:20:44 AM
Well there's an odd op-ed to read in the local paper.
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2023/10/14/jaguars-stadium-renovations-good-time-to-rethink-fl-ga-game-in-jax/71118501007/
The goal with those things is to get people's attention. Sadly, one thing that gets attention is terrible hot takes.
Playing devil's advocate, if this guy represents some "outsiders" thinking, I think it is worthwhile hearing it so the City can be ready to respond to the points made if they are brought up by one or both of the schools. If he is correct about the financial aspects of the game, maybe he has a point from that perspective, more than from his "personal experiences" in Jax.
There is a legitimately increased risk, if during a stadium rebuild, the schools "enjoy" hosting the game in alternate years, that they reconsider the arrangement. They hosted during the first rebuild and came back to Jax but I recall a lot of hand wringing at the time.
Every time this contract comes up it seems it is never a sure thing. It may be just a way to milk the City of more dollars or, just maybe, there are influential people at these schools who truly believe it should be moved at some point.
If the City is so confident of keeping the game, they should not be sweating it out over this op-ed. It is just one person's (and maybe a few others, hopefully, not decisionmakers at the schools) point of view so why get in a tizzy over it.
I, for one, appreciate hearing positions of those I might not agree with to better understand what I may be up against and to insure I have a good response ready if it becomes more than just an opinion. City leaders should be ready to take on his points if they have deja vu during a future round of negotiations. So, this article doesn't bother me at all.
^I don't believe the city is stressing out about a random editorial to the FTU, for or against keeping the game in Jax. From the city's perspective, that's a no brainer economically. However, I do view these types of voices as those you don't lose sleep over when trying to revitalize downtown. In other words, I would not focus on the people who avoid the area at all costs. I'd focus revitalization efforts on those that are already there and that want to be there. If we do that and create a quality environment for that engaged population, the others will come.....if they want too. Some people prefer other scenes and that's totally okay.
Don't argue with people that Harriett (Tubman) would have left.....or shot. Leave them on the plantation and focus your time, energy and effort on those that want better.