City Council considers eliminating 6K stadium seats for Florida-Georgia game

3 years ago 264

Move could outgo metropolis astir $800K successful payments to universities

The metropolis of Jacksonville is considering getting escaped of immoderate impermanent seats from the game.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There whitethorn beryllium less fans successful the seats astatine this year’s Florida-Georgia game, but not for the crushed 1 mightiness think.

The metropolis is considering getting escaped of immoderate impermanent seats for the Oct. 30 matchup.

The move, if approved by Jacksonville’s City Council, would outgo the metropolis astir $800,000.

If City Council members o.k. the alteration to the city’s declaration to big the game, astir 6,000 seats typically installed successful the northbound extremity portion would beryllium eliminated.

Instead, that aforesaid country would beryllium utilized for what is being called “premium seating.”

The City Council is expected to ballot connected this program astatine adjacent Tuesday’s meeting, which is conscionable a fewer days earlier the game.

Despite this, immoderate concern owners astir TIAA Bank Field deliberation this twelvemonth volition beryllium busier than ever.

“This twelvemonth we’ll interruption the grounds for my 30 years of the experience,” said Jashwant Shah, the proprietor of Tailgaters Bar & Grill.

Shah said helium has been booking RVs that instrumentality up spots connected his spot for weeks.

“One period before, my parking batch (is each sold out) and a batch of radical are inactive calling for parking,” Shah said.

The metropolis of Jacksonville is successful its archetypal twelvemonth of a five-year woody to big the contest.

The crippled requires seating for astatine slightest 82,917 fans. If the exigency program to scrap 6,000 seats is fixed the go-ahead, the caller capableness would beryllium 76,700 this year.

The metropolis would besides person to wage some the University of Florida and University of Georgia $400,000 each.

There would inactive beryllium impermanent seats astatine the game, but they would beryllium added passim antithetic parts of the stadium.

This year’s crippled volition not person constricted seating for COVID-19 precautions.

During 2020′s matchup, lone 19,000 fans were allowed wrong the stadium due to the fact that of the COVID-19 pandemic. TIAA Bank Field was unfastened astatine 25% capableness that day.

Kick-off adjacent Saturday is astatine 3:30 p.m.