JACKSONVILLE, Fla.– Building upon the momentum of a season that featured an AFC South Division Championship, three straight home sellouts to conclude the 2017 regular season, and a victory in the Jaguars' first home playoff game since 1999, today the Jacksonville Jaguars launched their 2018 season ticket campaign and announced the removal of all tarps at EverBank Field, new team uniforms, discounted stadium concessions and the return of loyalty pricing for season ticket members.
For the first time since 2005, the team will sell tickets across the entirety of EverBank Field. The tarps in the west upper deck will be removed to provide an additional 3,501 low-priced seating options for fans not wanting to miss out on the 2018 season. In addition to their AFC South division rivals, the Jaguars' home schedule will feature premium matchups against the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets and Washington Redskins.
"Getting rid of the tarps has been our goal since Shad Khan purchased the team in 2012. Given the strength of our home schedule and the enthusiasm from the community, we will move forward without the tarps in 2018," said Jaguars President Mark Lamping. "Our fans created a real home field advantage for our final 2017 regular season games and home playoff appearance. We want to make sure that same home field advantage is a reality every time the Jaguars take the field this fall by giving fans access to even more affordable tickets. Season tickets in these newly opened areas will be priced at $45 per game."
The Jaguars also confirmed today that the team will wear new uniforms and helmets for the upcoming 2018 season. The final design will be unveiled later this spring. As an added benefit, current US Assure Club and Suites season ticket holders and Fields Auto Group Terrace Suite season ticket holders will receive an authentic 2018 personalized Jaguars jersey when they renew their seats for next fall.
With the launch of the renewal campaign, the Jaguars also announced lower concessions pricing on many fan favorites. The biggest selling items such as hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, nachos, bottled soda and fountain drinks will cost $5 throughout the stadium. The Jaguars are also working with the culinary team at Delaware North Sportservice to develop additional $5 items. In addition, the Jaguars longstanding food policy will remain in effect, allowing fans to bring in their own food to EverBank Field, provided it is unwrapped and placed inside a one-gallon, clear plastic bag.
Demand for 2018 season tickets is at an extreme high. The Jaguars sales department has already taken more than 5,000 deposits from new purchasers looking to lock in their seats. By comparison, at this point last year, the sales team had taken in only 700 deposits.
"Momentum started building during our last three home games and really took off during our postseason appearances," said Chad Johnson, senior vice president of sales and service and chief content officer. "Based on the enthusiasm we've experienced, I don't anticipate any lower bowl seats to be available by the time single game tickets go on sale later this year."
The 2018 season ticket campaign begins today. Existing season ticket members will receive a renewal notice via email with a link to their personalized renewal portal. These individuals have until Friday, March 9 to elect to renew, after which their seats will be released and made available for existing member relocation. The team expects the relocation process to be complete by March 30. The Jaguars will then begin contacting individuals who have placed a deposit on 2018 season tickets. The on-sale date for single game tickets and mini-packs will be announced at a later date.
Loyalty pricing remains in effect for the third year in a row, ensuring renewing season ticket members always pay less than new buyers in the same seating category. In addition, the cost of parking will remain at 2017 prices in all Jaguars-controlled lots.
Season ticket prices in 2018 will increase by an average of 10.9 percent, although that increase varies across seating areas. In 2017, the Jaguars had among the lowest average ticket prices in the league. After this price increase, the team projects that the Jaguars' 2018 average ticket price will still rank in the bottom eight of all 32 NFL teams. Once available, new season tickets will start as low as $45. This is the first time in 10 years that a majority of ticket categories in the stadium will experience a price increase.
"Since Shad Khan purchased the Jaguars, he has invested significantly in the team, the stadium, the fan experience and the First Coast community," said Lamping. "This commitment will continue as we remain focused on delivering to our fans a franchise that is consistently competitive and financially stable. Significant progress has been made, but we still have work to do before we achieve these key goals. As we've emphasized for many years, financial stability is only attainable by increasing local revenue, of which average ticket price is a critical component. While no one ever looks forward to a ticket price increase, we are confident that the value of Jaguars season tickets is at an all-time high. We thank our season ticket members and hope we can continue to earn their support."
