• Loading stock data...
Sunday, June 22, 2025

Jaguars Have Set Up Shop in London. Fans Say Don’t Forget Jacksonville

  • The Jaguars play their second consecutive game in London on Sunday.
  • Longer U.K. trips could be in store as the team renovates its stadium.
Jacksonville Jaguars fan Dee Dee Ellis yells with her pink wig during the third quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars edged the Colts on a field goal 37-34.
Corey Perrine/Imagn Images

The Jaguars and Patriots will cap the NFL’s 2024 London Games on Sunday at Wembley Stadium, with the pair of 1–5 teams each desperately seeking a victory. Jacksonville has been playing in London since 2013 but has ramped up its international strategy this decade.

It’s Jacksonville’s fourth game in the U.K. in the past two seasons, and the second “home game” the franchise has moved abroad during that period. The Jags are showing no signs of slowing down—and fans have mixed feelings.

A major factor throughout the next three seasons: the newly approved renovations to EverBank Stadium, which will cost the team and city at least $1.4 billion and require the Jaguars to find a temporary venue (or venues) for the 2027 NFL season, when Jacksonville and other AFC clubs will have an “extra” ninth home game as part of the league’s 17-game schedule.

The team has largely narrowed its U.S. options for 2027 to Camping World Stadium in Orlando and the University of Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (aka “The Swamp”) in Gainesville.

“We have a lot of work to do on that decision,” Jaguars president Mark Lamping told reporters in London earlier this week. Lamping said the club has done surveys with fans, sponsors, and employees, but one of the most important factors is football operations.

Because of the renovation deal, the Jaguars can move up to six home games to London over the next three seasons, including up to three in 2027. So, theoretically, Jacksonville could move one home game to London in 2025, two in 2026, and three in 2027, in addition to any overseas games in which it’s the visitor.

Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; The 2024 NFL London Games, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears logo on the facade at an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Kirby Lee/Imagn Images

One Jaguars season-ticket holder tells Front Office Sports anonymously that they would prefer the team discontinue its annual home game in London, citing Jacksonville’s small market and attendance volatility. “I really would prefer us to continue to build the fan base here locally and have as many home games as possible,” the fan says.

“On the flip side, I do understand the business side of things, and that London games have helped the team bring in revenue, and also grow the fan base internationally, which is all good for the Jaguars-long term,” they continue. “So, thankful for the London fans, I just hope someday we are at a point where it’s not necessary for us to have a home game lost in Jacksonville each year.”

That extra revenue comes from the Jaguars’ unique contract with Wembley Stadium, which they’re currently working on extending beyond 2024. For most international NFL games, the team giving up the home game doesn’t keep any ticket or game-day revenue—the league collects that and distributes it among the 32 franchises equally. But the Jaguars have been allowed to keep all revenue from games at Wembley, which annually draws more than 80,000 fans for Jacksonville contests.

With international marketing rights in the U.K. and Ireland, the Jaguars have built up quite a base of international fans, like Louis H., who bought tickets for both games this month. “It affects me in a positive way as I get to see the team play more,” he tells FOS. “But I do feel bad for the fans in Florida who do miss out on a home game—it’s an expensive trip to the U.K.”

If the Jaguars were consistently winning, the London adventures may not be a source of ire. But with the losses mounting, fans have another reason to pile on owner Shad Khan, who once tried to buy Wembley Stadium and also owns West London–based Premier League club Fulham.

“All it looks like is a little business expense vacation to an international venue,” says John J., who has attended every game in Jacksonville so far this season and last. “[But] as long as they are taking into account the fans’ experience back here in Jacksonville and splitting the London games into one ‘away’ and one ‘home,’ I’m all for it,” he says. “I know that it provides an additional revenue source from a top international city in London that Jacksonville itself is not able to compete with.”

Lamping said the team will likely take the rest of the regular season to come up with a recommendation for where exactly to play in 2027, and then present that to the league. 

For this weekend, though, the focus is on making sure it doesn’t return to the U.S. without bringing home a win in front of its London fans.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas (6) is shown during the first quarter of their game against South Dakota Saturday, September 7 , 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Sues Miami for ‘Tampering’ With Football Transfer

Xavier Lucas signed NIL deals in Madison before transferring to Miami.
Jun 19, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) shoots the ball against Indiana Pacers center Tony Bradley (13) during the first half of game six of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Pacers’ Tony Bradley Has Made Just $330K This Year Despite Finals Run

Bradley was signed by the Pacers on March 2 to a 10-day contract.

Featured Today

Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
June 6, 2025

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.

How Mark Walter’s Dodgers Playbook Could Rewrite Lakers’ Future

The owner’s tenure with the MLB club has been lined with success.
June 20, 2025

Summer Soccer Fatigue? USMNT, Messi’s Inter Miami Draw Sparse Crowds

Neither team could sell out matches Thursday night.
May 20, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; A reserved parking sign for ÒMr. Big TimeÓ located in Lot B before the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
June 20, 2025

Dodgers, DHS At Odds Over Presence of Federal Agents in Parking Lots

The Dodgers and DHS have conflicting reports about what exactly happened.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
Jun 13, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives to the hoop past Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8), guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and forward Chet Holmgren (7) during the third quarter of game four of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
June 18, 2025

Pacers, Fever Overwhelmed by Demand for Merch

“We have people waiting to get in the store at 10 in the morning.”
June 18, 2025

Rays on Verge of $1.7B Sale Following Stadium Deal Collapse

The team’s owner walked away from a stadium deal just months ago.
June 17, 2025

Panthers Repeat as Stanley Cup Champs, Buoyed by Bold Deadline Move

The second consecutive Cup helps cement the South as a hockey stronghold.
Jun 7, 2025; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; Kansas City Current forward Flora Marta Lacho (30) passes the ball as NJ/NY Gotham FC midfielder Jaelin Howell (7) defends during the second half at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
June 16, 2025

Gotham FC Owner Wants to Apply Peloton Instructor Model to NWSL Players

“We need to inject our Gotham stars into New York culture.”