Jacksonville to bid to host Army-Navy football game
Jacksonville to bid to host Army-Navy football game
The city hopes to bring the rivalry to the “Stadium of the Future” between 2028 and 2032.
Article courtesy of Jacksonville Daily Record and Joe Lister
The city of Jacksonville is preparing to submit bids to host the annual Army-Navy football game, a city official said Aug. 26.
Should the city succeed, it would be the first East Coast municipality south of Maryland to host the college football spectacle.
Alex Alston, the city’s Office of Sports and Entertainment executive director, said the city will bid to host one of the five Army-Navy games held between 2028 and 2032.
The game, first played in 1890, is one of the oldest rivalries in college football. It has most often been played in Philadelphia, but the organizers are seeking venues for games played after 2027.
Alston said the city began having conversations with the athletics directors of both the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Military Academy West Point around one year ago. The programs gave the city “positive feedback in terms of them wanting us to throw our hat in the ring,” Alston said.
The two academies are expected to publish a request for proposals to host the game between 2028 and 2032 around mid-September, Alston said, with bids likely due around mid-January 2027. Future venues would likely be announced in May 2027.
Jacksonville’s hosting could coincide with the opening of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ “Stadium of the Future,” a $1.4 billion revamp of EverBank Stadium in Downtown. While the Jaguars are the primary user of the venue, the city owns the stadium. Stadium renovations are expected to be completed by the Jaguars’ 2028 season.
The stadium renovations, combined with the proximity of Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport and the city’s experience hosting the annual Florida-Georgia game, give Jacksonville ways to sell the military academies on bringing their game to Jacksonville, Alston said.
Alston said he expected the bidding process to be “highly competitive.” He said he knew Orlando would compete for bids, while cities like Charlotte, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta; Baltimore; and New York City would also be likely contenders.
“I think (this is) an example of opportunities that will present themselves to our community with this stadium renovation,” Alston said. “We hope that the community will rally behind it and put us in the best position to be successful.”