Jaguars Considering Move to Daytona International Speedway During Stadium Renovations | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
David Craig With their ambitious plans for a stadium renovation starting to materialize, the Jacksonville Jaguars may be looking for a temporary home in a few years if the deal goes through. And one of the options may be Dayton International Speedway, about an hour away from Jacksonville, according to Venues Now.
In December, the Jaguars opted for a $1 billion renovation over building an entirely new stadium. The plan would completely change the look of the current stadium, modeled after much more modern venues like SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
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It would also take about three years to complete as the current best-case scenario is to start construction after the 2025 season and have it ready to go by 2028. The Jaguars could head to the birthplace of speed during that time.
"It would be an interesting solution, but would also require significant investment in terms of infrastructure," team president Mark Lamping said. "It can accommodate a big crowd. It would be a little wonky, but it's worth considering. After the renovations, it's nice."
Daytona International Speedway can hold over 100,000 fans, and Lamping plans to meet with track officials in the coming weeks to further explore the possibility.
Some other options include traditional football facilities in Gainesville and Orlando, both a few hours away from Jacksonville.
The organization is also considering some local options in Jacksonville, including the city's minor league baseball stadium or the University of North Florida's track stadium. Both would require about $125 million in updates to be up to NFL standards.
Before any of those options are possible, however, the deal for the renovation has to pass through several obstacles, including approval from the city, which owns TIAA Bank Field, and 75 percent approval from the other NFL owners.
"I hope we have to deal with that issue [of temporary relocation] because that means we would have a stadium deal," Lamping said.