The Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team recently unveiled a proposed $1.4 billion makeover of its TIAA Bank Field and the surrounding area.
The finance package hinges on the Jaguars signing a lease extension with the City of Jacksonville, Fla., which owns the stadium. The team’s current lease runs through the 2029 season.
If the extension is reached, the Jaguars will need a temporary home for two seasons, beginning in 2026.
While there are nearby stadiums in Gainesville, Fla., and Orlando, Fla., the team is looking at, the possibility of utilizing Daytona International Speedway – located about 90 miles south of Jacksonville – is also on the table.
In a statement provided Saturday to Motorsport.com, DIS officials confirmed the upcoming talks with the NFL team regarding the issue.
“Daytona International Speedway is a world-renowned sports and entertainment venue and hosts a full schedule of events each year,” said track president Frank Kelleher.
“As good neighbors in the Florida sports community, DIS will be speaking with the Jacksonville Jaguars to see if we can assist them with their potential upcoming facility needs around our scheduled events.”
The NASCAR Cup Series has hosted its preseason Busch Clash exhibition race the past two seasons on a made-from-scratch ¼-mile oval inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which has hosted college and NFL football games as well as the Olympics.
In this case, NASCAR would have the opportunity to showcase one of its iconic venues to the NFL audience.
The 2.5-mile Daytona track, first opened in 1959, underwent more than $400 million in renovations beginning in 2013 which included creating a 101,000-seat stadium-style complex on the frontstretch along with numerous other amenities and technology upgrades.
The frontstretch infield area presumably would be used to create the field. It has actually hosted college football games before – the first in 1974 when Bethune-Cookman played Florida A&M in front of 32,000 fans.
In an interview with VenuesNow, Mark Lamping, president of Jaguars, said utilizing DIS would be “an interesting solution but would also require significant investment in terms of infrastructure.
“It can accommodate a big crowd,” he said. “It would be a little wonky, but it’s worth considering. After the renovations, it’s nice.”
