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Best Stadium in the Country is Home to the Jacksonville
Jaguars
It was on August 1995 that the Jacksonville Jaguars played
their first game in their new stadium. This day also marked the
first time in sports history that an expansion team played its
first home game in a new stadium during their very first
season. The home of the Jaguars also made history as the
fastest constructed stadium with a duration of approximately 20
months as compared to the other NFL stadiums.
The site of the stadium was the site of the old Gator Bowl and
in order for it to be constructed, the Gator Bowl had to be
demolished. And in such a short time, a new stadium arose.
Also, the new stadium rapidly became the best stadium in the
country. The stadium was then named the Jacksonville Municipal
Stadium and it was the host site of the biggest sporting event
in the world for a day - the Super Bowl XXXIX.
To make sure that Jacksonville had the best venue for the NFL,
the Jacksonville Municipal Stadium went through a make over
costing to over $63 million. Renovation works included the
addition of the Group Terrace suit, the Bud Zone, Pation, 20
new escalators, four elevators, perimeter fences, renovated
club rooms and suites, and state of the art scoreboards.
The practice fields of the Jacksonville Jaguars which is
adjacent to the stadium has now been converted to an
entertainment zone called the Pepsi Plaza. During game days,
this area includes a corporate hospitality area, tailgate
cabanas, and hosts interactive games as well as a stage for pre
and post-game entertainment.
In 1997, the Jacksonville Municipal Stadium was eventually
renamed to the Alltel Stadium after Alltel bought the naming
rights for ten years. When the contract reached is expiry in
2007, it reverted back to its old name. The stadium is known
for the two Crown Royal Touchdown Clubs located on both of its
sides. Its design is rather unique since all the 10,000 club
seats and the Crown Royal Touchdown Clubs are located midfield
and not scattered horizontally like other stadiums. Totally, 75
percent of the seats in this stadium is located on the side,
while the 25 percent is located behind the end zones.
In reality, the Jacksonville Municipal Stadium seat 67,000 but
additional seats were added to expand the capacity to 82,000
during major games like the Florida-Georgia game and the Super
Bowl XXXIX. Recently however, blackouts were common in the
stadium, thus prompting city officials to tarp some sections of
the stadium.
At present, the Jacksonville Municipal Stadium is where the
games of the Jaguars are played. This is where the Jaguars show
how they are as a team. This is the pride of Jacksonville and
even if the Jaguars do not perform as they had during their
best season, they are sure that the stadium will be filled with
their never faltering supporters and fans who are out to
hopefully see them perform at their best with each game they
bring to their home city.
The home of the Jaguars also made history as the fastest
constructed stadium with a duration of approximately 20 months
as compared to the other NFL stadiums.
Rick Grantham is an avid NFL fan. Most of Rick's articles
focus on Jacksonville Jaguars Merchandise. Many
articles are related to NFL helmet and other sports related
topics. Rick is a contributing author to BooYah Village
by Rick Grantham - January 17, 2009
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