NFL approves one-year Camping World Stadium plan as Jacksonville stadium is renovated
That headline is not an April Fools’ Day joke. NFL games will be closer to Osceola County than they ever have been next year.
NFL owners voted unanimously to allow the Jaguars to play their 2027 season at Camping World Stadium in Orlando while EverBank Stadium goes under billion-dollar renovations in Jacksonville, including a protective canopy, new seating and added capabilities. Construction is scheduled to be complete on the Jaguars’ “stadium of the future” in August 2028.
Looking at the NFL’s scheduling matrix, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins likely will play regular-season games in Orlando, along with the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, the New Orleans Saints and one other AFC and NFC team — nine home games total. The Jaguars will still work at their team facility in Jacksonville during the week and travel the approximately 150 miles south down I-95 and I-4 for the games.
Camping World, which is undergoing a $400 million renovation of its own, has been host to the Pro Bowl/Pro Bowl Games six times since 2017.
Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan, tasked with bringing marquee events to the Orlando stadium, said making Orlando an NFL city, even for just one year, will make the city outpace Las Vegas as a tourism destination.
“When all is said and done, people will want to come here and stay here,” he said at an announcement event Wednesday with team personnel. “We will put this stadium through its paces and show the world what we can do. “That building needs to be sold out throughout the season and show that Orlando can do that.”
Jags President Mark Lamping said two years of work had gone into this agreement.
“The decision to revamp Camping World Stadium made this possible, showing what this type of investment can make in a community,” he said. “You were instrumental in making this happen. We were fortunate that our temporary home is in close proximity to Jacksonville with a ready-made stadium in a strong football market.”
