We’ve noticed a strange trend in the wake of the announcement that EverBank will pay $16.6 million over five years for the right to attach its name to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.
Plenty of Jaguars fans assume that the development guarantees that the team won’t leave Jacksonville for at least five years, if not longer.
But, frankly, it means nothing. The move creates $3.32 million in new money per year, a small percentage of the team’s total revenue. It sells not a single new ticket. And so it does nothing to address the more fundamental problem in Jacksonville regarding the long-term viability of a team there.
Is it bad news that a Jacksonville-based bank saw fit to establish a broader regional and/or national presence by attaching its name to an NFL venue? No, it’s not. (A year ago, a Jacksonville-based brewery opted instead to slap its name onto the football stadium in Miami.) But it’s not good news, either, beyond the added revenue.
As to whether the Jaguars will remain in Jacksonville, it’s meaningless. And for those of you in Jacksonville who choose to call me biased or a “hater” for pointing out that simple reality, you’d be making more valuable use of your time by, you know, purchasing tickets to games.