haven\u2019t announced it yet<\/a> because they can\u2019t \u2014 not officially. The NFL owners still need to vote on it, a procedural hurdle that seemingly exists only on paper. But make no mistake: this is just a formality and a technicality.<\/p>\nThe Jaguars wanted to get the approval process wrapped up at the NFL\u2019s just-completed owners\u2019 meeting, but the league had other priorities. As Jags team president Mark Lamping told me earlier this week: \u201cAs far as the league is concerned, I don\u2019t know that they put as much of a priority on this as we would like them to. We wish the time frame (on the decision) would be earlier, but that\u2019s because our fans want to know and the people in Orlando want to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Translation: We know where we\u2019re going, we\u2019re just waiting for the league seal of approval.<\/p>\n
And where they\u2019re going is clear \u2014 straight down Interstate 95 to I-4.<\/p>\n
How do we know? Because both Orlando officials and University of Florida officials have already been notified. One UF source put it to me even more pointedly, and with unmistakable finality:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Jaguars won\u2019t be playing here. They\u2019ll be playing in Orlando.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s as definitive as it gets without an NFL logo on the press release.<\/p>\n
Yes, the Jags and UF will continue discussing the possibility of perhaps playing an emergency game in Gainesville \u2014 a contingency plan in case Camping World Stadium is occupied by another event. But the decision has been made. The landing spot is chosen. And it\u2019s the one that makes the most sense by every conceivable measure.<\/p>\n
The most likely factor in the Jags\u2019 decision is stadium availability. The Jaguars have been told that Florida\u2019s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium \u2014 the Swamp \u2014 is set to begin its massive $398.5 million renovation in April 2027. While the Jags could conceivably still play at the Swamp in 2027, the exterior of the stadium will likely be in various stages of demolition, construction and chaos during the window when the Jaguars need a temporary NFL-caliber venue.<\/p>\n
Even if UF weren\u2019t renovating, sharing a stadium with a big-time college football team is an immediate logistical migraine. Weekend conflicts, locker-room issues, field maintenance battles \u2014 the NFL isn\u2019t signing up for that.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Orlando\u2019s Camping World Stadium will have already finished its own $400 million facelift \u2014 a project that will give the venue a modernized, NFL-friendly infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s everything else \u2014 and Orlando checks every box in bold marker:<\/p>\n
\u2022 The biggest TV market the Jaguars have.
\u2022 The biggest U.S. media market without an NFL team.
\u2022 A tourism, hospitality and transportation machine built for high-volume events.
\u2022 Hotels. Restaurants. Nightlife. Airport. Easy access.
\u2022 A football stadium that would belong entirely to the Jaguars for an entire year.<\/p>\n
If you think the league office doesn\u2019t salivate over planting the NFL flag in Orlando for a season, think again. The owners know the value of testing markets, even temporarily. They know the power of expanding footprint, eyeballs and influence. Orlando, already crowned by Sports Business Journal as America\u2019s Best Sports Business City, is an irresistible market for the league to showcase itself in.<\/p>\n
And, if you ask me, this isn\u2019t just a one-year lease. This is an audition. A demonstration that Orlando can seamlessly host NFL operations \u2014 team, fans, broadcast, logistics, security, game-day, etc. This is what Las Vegas did with major events long before the Raiders arrived. This is how markets evolve from \u201cmajor event city\u201d to \u201cmajor league city.\u201d<\/p>\n
And just imagine the 2027 season in Orlando. Seven or eight regular-season NFL games lighting up downtown \u2014 and maybe even some playoff games. Who knows? By then, Trevor Lawrence might finally be living up to his potential in leading the Jaguars\u2019 Liam Coen-coached offense to greatness.<\/p>\n
For one spectacular season, Orlando becomes an NFL town. And don\u2019t underestimate the optics. When the nation tunes in on Sundays, they\u2019ll see NFL football in Orlando \u2014 not because of a Pro Bowl sideshow, but because of actual, meaningful, playoff-implicated games.<\/p>\n
And the league will take note.<\/p>\n
Sports tourism is no sideshow; it\u2019s a multi-billion-dollar industry. Orlando understands this. Orange County understands this. It\u2019s why county leaders cleared a $10 million sports-incentive package for the Jaguars earlier this year \u2014 because they know hosting the NFL for a season isn\u2019t a novelty.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an economic engine.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hotel nights, restaurant revenue, national exposure and high-value visitors.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a chance to show billionaire owners \u2014 the ultimate decision-makers in American sports \u2014 that Orlando isn\u2019t just a city of theme parks and conventions.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a sports capital in waiting.<\/p>\n
If Vegas can reinvent itself with sports, why can\u2019t Orlando expand its reach the same way? We\u2019ve already proven our ability to host bowls, championships, world-class soccer, major concerts, WrestleMania-level spectacles.<\/p>\n
This is how cities get noticed.<\/p>\n
This is how cities get taken seriously for future teams.<\/p>\n
This is how cities get into the conversation for baseball, neutral-site NFL games, and maybe one day, a permanent NFL franchise.<\/p>\n
The league hasn\u2019t voted yet, but the decision has already been made.<\/p>\n
The paperwork isn\u2019t stamped yet, but the message is out:<\/p>\n
Orlando will be the Jaguars\u2019 home in 2027.<\/p>\n
Now it\u2019s just a matter of time before the league makes it official.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve spent months talking about this opportunity. Positioning and fighting for it.<\/p>\n
Now the end zone is in sight. The ball is inside the 1.<\/p>\n
The Jaguars are coming!<\/p>\n
The Jaguars are coming!<\/p>\n
Now let\u2019s show the team and the league that they are making the right call.<\/p>\n
Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on social media @BianchiWrites and listen to my new radio show \u201cGame On\u201d every weekday from 3 to 6 p.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com\/listen<\/p>\n
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