The Jacksonville Jaguars, which has ties to AEW, could be looking for a new home should things not end in a deal with the city in Florida.
The team is owned by Shad, who also co-owns AEW with AEW President Tony Khan, who works as the chief football strategy officer for the NFL team. During the pandemic, the promotion used Daily’s Place, next door to the Jaguars home stadium, and even used the stadium for angles/matches.
Tony, who lives in Jacksonville, works out of the stadium offices that are the headquarters of All Elite Wrestling.
The Jaguars recently went public with their demands for funding a new stadium and even proposed relocation if $1 billion in taxpayer money is not agreed to.
“Do you want to keep the NFL in Jacksonville?” Jaguars president Mark Lamping said at the AXS DRIVE conference regarding theoretical vote from residents on approving the deal.
The team feels they need a better stadium to compete with the average NFL team. The team also deals with it being 41st in media market size, a disadvantage to other teams.
TIAA Bank Stadium is publicly owned. This past June, the team released renderings of the new stadium, which is a revamp of their current home with a stadium canopy to battle the heat in the Florida, costing up to $2 billion in total costs, with the team seeking a 50-50 split with the city.
The Jaguars recently opened a $120 million practice facility next to their stadium.
“If Jacksonville loses an NFL team, they’re never going to get another one,” Lamping said.
If the NFL team got the stadium, they would need a temporary home for one or several seasons. Daytona International Speedway and the University of Florida’s stadium are possible venues for that.