History of EverBank Stadium in Timeline

EverBank Stadium is an American football stadium located in Jacksonville, Florida. It serves as the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL. In addition to football, the stadium also functions as headquarters for professional wrestling promotions All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Ring of Honor (ROH).

1927: Gator Bowl Stadium Erected

In 1927, the original Gator Bowl Stadium was erected on the site where Jacksonville Municipal Stadium would later be built.

1928: Fairfield Stadium Constructed

In 1928, the first permanent football stadium, Fairfield Stadium, was constructed in the Stadium District of downtown Jacksonville.

1948: Fairfield Stadium Expanded and Renamed Gator Bowl Stadium

In 1948, Fairfield Stadium was expanded and renamed Gator Bowl Stadium, in honor of the annual Gator Bowl game.

1949: Gator Bowl Stadium Built

The Gator Bowl Stadium was built in 1949 and was considered aging by 1993, leading to renovation discussions.

1982: Gator Bowl Renovations

In 1982, the Gator Bowl Stadium underwent renovations including the pedestrian ramp system and the West Upper Deck section of the complex.

January 1993: Negotiations to Renew Florida-Georgia Game Contract

In January 1993, representatives from the University of Florida and University of Georgia began negotiating with Jacksonville representatives to renew the contract to host the Florida-Georgia game.

March 23, 1993: Universities Sign Five-Year Contract

On March 23, 1993, the University of Florida and University of Georgia signed a five-year contract with the Gator Bowl, running from 1997 to 2002, contingent on stadium renovations.

November 30, 1993: Jacksonville Awarded NFL Franchise

On November 30, 1993, Jacksonville was awarded the 30th NFL franchise, the Jacksonville Jaguars, following an expanded renovation program.

January 3, 1994: Construction Started on New Stadium

On January 3, 1994, construction started on the new stadium, which would incorporate some portions of the historic Gator Bowl Stadium.

1994: End of University Contract With Gator Bowl

After the 1994 game, the universities' five-year contract with the Gator Bowl ended, leading to considerations from other venues like the Citrus Bowl.

1994: Florida-Georgia Game Moved Out of Gator Bowl

In 1994, due to expanded renovations, the Florida-Georgia game was moved out of the Gator Bowl.

1994: Largest Super Bowl Attendance Since 1994

In 2005, the stadium hosted Super Bowl XXXIX, which had the largest Super Bowl attendance since 1994.

August 18, 1995: New Stadium Opened

On August 18, 1995, the new stadium opened with an exhibition game featuring the St. Louis Rams. The total construction time was under 20 months.

1995: Florida-Georgia Game Moved Out of Gator Bowl

In 1995, the Florida-Georgia game was moved out of the Gator Bowl.

1995: Stadium Opens as Jacksonville Municipal Stadium

In 1995, the stadium opened as Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on the site of the old Gator Bowl Stadium. The stadium sits on 10 acres of land in downtown Jacksonville and hosts the Jaguars, college football games, concerts, and other events.

1995: Home Debut of Jaguars

In 1995, the stadium's re-opening day was also the home debut of the Jaguars. They played the Houston Oilers and lost 10–3.

January 1, 1996: Gator Bowl Returned

On January 1, 1996, the Gator Bowl returned as a New Year's Day bowl game following the 1995 NCAA season.

1996: Renovations Completed

By the 1996 Florida-Georgia game, renovations were completed as promised.

1996: Newly Expanded Renovation Plan

In order to provide time for the newly expanded renovation plan to be completed before 1996, the Florida-Georgia game had to be moved.

1997: Start of Five-Year Contract with Universities

In 1997, the five-year contract between the Gator Bowl and the University of Florida and University of Georgia began.

1997: Stadium Name Changed to Alltel Stadium

In 1997, the stadium changed its name to Alltel Stadium after naming rights were acquired by Alltel, a telecommunications company.

1999: Jaguars Host a Playoff Game

After the successful 2017 season which saw the Jaguars return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2007 season and host a playoff game for the first time since 1999, the Jaguars announced the removal of the last of the tarps on the upper levels.

2002: End of Five-Year Contract with Universities

In 2002, the five-year contract between the Gator Bowl and the University of Florida and University of Georgia ended.

2003: Improvements to the Stadium

In 2003 and 2004, $47 million in improvements to the stadium were implemented to prepare for the Super Bowl. These improvements included the addition of the "Bud Zone", a larger video and scoring display from Daktronics, escalators, and a new "Sky Patio".

2004: Improvements to the Stadium

2005: Installation of Tarps

Before the 2005 season, team officials installed tarps to reduce the seating capacity for Jaguars games due to low attendance figures and looming blackouts.

2005: Super Bowl XXXIX Hosted

In 2005, the stadium hosted Super Bowl XXXIX, where the New England Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. Paul McCartney performed at halftime.

2006: Alltel Naming Rights End

In 2006, the naming rights agreement with Alltel expired, marking the end of the Alltel Stadium name.

January 2007: End of Alltel Stadium Name

After January 2007, the name Alltel Stadium stopped being used as the contract expired and Alltel's assets were purchased by Verizon.

September 29, 2007: Attendance Record Set

On September 29, 2007, the attendance record was set when 85,413 watched Florida State defeat Alabama in the River City Showdown.

2007: Jaguars Missed Playoffs

After the successful 2017 season which saw the Jaguars return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2007 season, the Jaguars announced the removal of the last of the tarps on the upper levels.

2007: Home Games Blackouts

In 2007, there were blackouts for two of the first three home games, indicating ongoing challenges with ticket sales.

2008: US Financial Crisis

The 2008 US financial crisis played a major part in the 2009 season blackouts, leading to insufficient ticket sales.

2009: Nine of Ten Games Blacked Out

In 2009, nine of ten games were blacked out, believed to be largely due to the 2008 US financial crisis impacting ticket sales.

July 26, 2010: EverBank Buys Naming Rights

On July 26, 2010, naming rights to the stadium were bought by EverBank, one of the nation's largest privately held bank holding companies.

2010: Stadium Renamed EverBank Field

In 2010, the stadium was renamed EverBank Field following the approval of a five-year naming rights deal with EverBank.

2010: Huge Turnaround in Ticket Sales

The Jaguars' 2010 season saw a huge turnaround in ticket sales, with no games being blacked out that year.

2011: Jaguars Avoid Blackouts

The Jaguars avoided blackouts in all games in 2011.

2012: Jaguars Avoid Blackouts

The Jaguars avoided blackouts in all games in 2012.

November 2013: City Council Approved Improvements

In November 2013, Jacksonville's City Council approved $63 million in improvements to EverBank Field, including two end zone video scoreboards and a platform area with wading pools.

July 26, 2014: Scoreboards Unveiled

On July 26, 2014, the scoreboards were publicly unveiled.

2014: EverBank Naming Rights Deal Extended

In 2014, the naming rights agreement with EverBank was extended for an additional 10 years.

2016: New Improvements to Stadium Announced

In 2016, $90 million in improvements to the stadium were announced. Phase 1 included improvements to club seating, new walkout patios and the creation of a new south end zone tunnel.

May 2017: Construction Completed

In May 2017, construction was completed on Phase 2 which included the construction of an amphitheater (Daily's Place) and a covered flex field.

2017: Jaguars Return to Playoffs

After the successful 2017 season which saw the Jaguars return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2007 season, the Jaguars announced the removal of the last of the tarps on the upper levels.

February 2018: Announcement of Name Change to TIAA Bank Field

In February 2018, the Jaguars announced that the stadium would be renamed TIAA Bank Field for the 2018 NFL season after EverBank was acquired by TIAA.

2021: New Orleans Saints Temporarily Relocate

In 2021, the stadium temporarily hosted the New Orleans Saints after they were forced to relocate from Caesars Superdome due to the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.

June 2023: Stadium Renamed EverBank Stadium

In June 2023, the Jaguars announced that the team's home stadium would be renamed EverBank Stadium prior to the start of the season.

June 2023: Jaguars Unveiled Plans for Renovation

In June 2023, the Jaguars unveiled plans for the renovation. Dubbed the "Stadium of the Future", the plans include a 360-degree concourse, an energy-efficient facade, and a large canopy to provide shade.

October 2024: NFL Owners Approve Renovation

In October 2024, NFL owners voted unanimously to approve the $1.4 billion renovation project.

2024: Stadium Temporarily Rebranded to TrEverBank Stadium

In 2024, the stadium was temporarily rebranded to TrEverBank Stadium before the Jaguars' 18–13 home opener loss against the Cleveland Browns, in an allusion to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence through a publicity stunt as part of his collaboration with EverBank.