JACKSONVILLE, Fla. _ The Jaguars announced on Tuesday they are going to play a second home game in London during the 2020 regular season, reducing their home schedule in Jacksonville to just six games.
It will be the fewest home games available to fans at TIAA Bank Field in the 25-year existence of the franchise.
Jaguars president Mark Lamping said they reached an agreement with the league that the two games in London will be played on back-to-back weekends. The official dates of the two games will be announced during the schedule release in April.
The Jaguars' marquee home games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Bears were protected and will be played at TIAA Bank Field.
Lamping also announced the Jaguars will be introducing a variable pricing plan, in which games against marquee opponents will be priced slightly higher.
However, the Jaguars are reducing their preseason games by 50% and season ticket holders will be paying 15% less in 2020 than they paid in 2019, Lamping said.
"For teams like the Jaguars, we are entering a period of significant change within the league," Lamping said. This has been precipitated by the move of the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas into their new stadium, the San Diego Chargers relocation to Los Angeles, along with the St. Louis Rams. Both of those teams will benefit from moving into their new stadium this summer. Those teams were at the bottom of the league in terms of revenue, which is a key metric.
Not only are the Jaguars the only team in the NFL with a six-game home schedule, they also will be the only franchise that will essentially play 10 of their 16 games next season on the road.
"I don't think it's a competitive disadvantage," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said during a conference call Tuesday. "The next time you see Doug Marrone or Dave Caldwell you can ask them. I think if you look back, we've struggled and there's been seasons when we won three games and one of those wins were in London.:
The Jaguars have played a game annually in London every season since 2013. Asked if the Jaguars plans to push for a new contract that will include playing two games in London annually, Khan said it's about the two games this season.
"We've talked about possibly playing two games (in London), but we're not the sole judge here of the decision-maker," Khan said. "I think it has to make sense for the league, which ultimately decides. But right now this is just about two games this season."
The Jaguars would have the means to create additional revenue from the Lot J developmental deal next to TIAA Bank Field that would include an entertainment district containing restaurants, bars, a 300-unit luxury high-rise tower, a 200-room boutique hotel, an office tower and outdoor.
Lamping said last month that negotiations with the city on a development deal for Lot J were "very close" to finalizing a deal that could go to the City Council with an eye toward ground-breaking in the spring.
Issuing an update on Tuesday, Lamping said they hope to have a completed development agreement within the next 30-60 days.
"We can't snap our fingers and get Lot J open tomorrow, so as we are waiting to go where we are now," Lamping said. "We need to be looking for those opportunities to supplement our revenue situation and we believe that London fits that bill. Not only is it the right time to do it, but it's the right action for us."
The Jaguars have 10 losing seasons in 12 years and according to NFL figures for the 2019 season, the Jaguars' 88.4 home attendance percentage at TIAA Bank Field for seven games in 2019 was the fourth-lowest in the 32-team league.
The Jaguars' 59,987 per game home average ranked 29th, a 6,687 decrease from the 2018 season when the franchise had more than 52,000 season ticket holders. The jump in season ticket sales in 2018 was attributed to their 2017 success when they reached the AFC title game. But they have fared 11-21 over the past two seasons, including 6-10 last season.
And the fan base has become restless, especially with Khan making only one significant change by firing former football top executive Tom Coughlin in December. Despite consecutive losing seasons, Khan retained Marrone and Caldwell for the 2020 season.
Without question the Jaguars are significantly concerned about their financial bottom line in Jacksonville.
"Other teams are continuing to be aggressive in terms of their actions, highlighted by the three new stadium teams I mentioned," Lamping said. "We're treading water, we're not moving up in the league and that challenge is only going to come more significant."
