TIAA Bank could get seating change this week

TIAA Bank Stadium could get a seating change just days before Florida and Georgia are to meet for the 99th meeting between the two schools — or the 100th meeting if you ask Georgia.

The decision is centered around the addition of temporary seating, which increases the stadium capacity from 67,164 to 82,871. Under consideration is the removal of roughly 6,000 of those temporary seats to make way for more premium options. The city is in the first year of a five-year extension to host the game. If approved the city would owe each school $400,000 dollars, as per their contract with the universities.

City of Jacksonville chief administrative officer Brian Hughes told News 4 Jax that the decision to reduce seating is a joint agreement between the city and both schools and it will be voted on Tuesday at a council meeting.

“How do we continue to make sure that the Florida Georgia experience is the best it can be?,” Hughes told News 4 Jax. “Just putting in seats is not ensuring the fan experience. Making sure the numbers right and that there’s opportunities both for the city to have its business taken care of, but also to make sure the schools and the people that they bring with them to come see this game and enjoy it. Have a fan experience that is second to none.”

During the 2020 game, only 19,000 fans were allowed in the stadium with TIAA bank at 25% capacity due to COVID 19 restrictions.