The Jaguars Are Playing an Entire Season 140 Miles From Home and the NFL Just Made It Official

The Jacksonville Jaguars are getting kicked out of their own house for a year, and the NFL owners just rubber-stamped the whole thing on Tuesday. Next season, the Jaguars will play all their home games in Orlando at Camping World Stadium while EverBank Stadium gets a $1.4 billion facelift. Yeah, you read that right. One full season. Gone.

Why Jacksonville Is Trading Home Turf for a Road Trip Down I-95

EverBank Stadium has been the Jaguars' home since they joined the NFL in 1995, but it's about to become the Stadium of the Future. Construction already kicked off, and it's going to lock down the building for the entire 2027 season. The team is calling it "a necessary and important step," but let's be real: it's a massive disruption to what should be home field advantage.

The work being done is legit though. We're talking technology upgrades and a transparent canopy designed to cut heat retention by 70 percent or more. The concourses are getting remade from top to bottom, and new lookout spaces will let fans see Jacksonville from the stadium. All of it should wrap up before the 2028 season kicks off. The Jaguars are betting these renovations will position Jacksonville to host the Super Bowl, the Final Four, and the college football playoffs down the road.

2026 Is a Transition Year, But 2027? That's Going to Sting

Here's the thing: this season in 2026, the Jaguars will still play at EverBank, but some seating areas will be closed because of construction. Next year though, they're packing up and heading to Orlando, about 140 miles south. That's the price of going all-in on making Jacksonville a world-class venue.

Mark Lamping, the team president, said the NFL and all the owners unanimously agreed that Orlando "best meets the needs of the Jaguars, our 2027 opponents, and the National Football League." Translation: everyone signed off on this, no dissent. The team is asking fans to stay patient and keep showing up, even if they have to drive to another state to watch their team play at home.

A Stadium Worth the Wait

EverBank has been Jacksonville's house since the Gator Bowl stood there back in 1927. This transformation is supposed to make it competitive with the best venues in football. If the Jaguars pull this off, it could change how the city looks for decades.

The 2027 season is going to be weird, no question. But when the doors open on the Stadium of the Future in 2028, Jaguars fans might just forget about this awkward year playing down south.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.