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Although construction won’t impact capacity this season, the Jaguars say it will impact parking, entry and getting to seats.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A new season means a new game day experience for Jaguars fans.
Saturday’s preseason opener gave thousands of fans their first look inside the EverBank Stadium since construction began in February.
“Entering the game was a bit different this time, but we managed it,” said Willie Cummings Sr., a season ticket holder. “The new construction is a positive change.”
Cummings Sr. says by the time he made it to his seats for the preseason opener, it was the same view he’s used to.
Getting to those seats was a bit different, however, as he immediately noticed the escalator he’s used for years wasn’t available.
“We had to take the ramp due to the construction,” Cummings Sr. said. “I’m 64 years old. I need the escalator.”
While the escalators by Gates 2 and 3 are gone, there are still elevators and the escalator by the South End Zone for fans who need them.
The Jaguars started construction on the canopy and concourse expansion and are working on the main staircase by Gate 1.
“We’re thrilled about having protection from the sun since summers are quite hot,” commented Andrew Sims, another season ticket holder. “We’re looking forward to the new features.”
The Jaguars state that although parking, entry, and reaching your seats will have some changes this season, once you’re seated, the in-stadium experience should remain familiar, along with the main concourse path.
“We had to move over to Zone 2 to go in,” Sims said. “Typically we go through West Gallagher, but it was still easy to get to. No issues.”
As per the Stadium of the Future project, the seating capacity will remain unchanged for this season, but it will reduce to 43,500 by 2026. The Jaguars plan to leave EverBank by 2027, and the new stadium aims to be ready for games by the fall of 2028.
Cummings says he’ll do whatever it takes to get to his seats all season long to cheer on the Jags.
“Season ticket holder, season parking pass, all in,” Cummings Sr. said. “We just need to win.
Plus, he has an offer they can’t refuse.
“If they ever need a receiver, I’ve got 10 touchdowns in me for the season,” Cummings Sr. said.
The team advises fans to plan ahead by heading to the gate specified on their tickets for the quickest route to their seats, although this may vary throughout the season depending on construction updates game by game.
