New EverBank scoreboard in "everyone's interest"

The Jacksonville Jaguars hope to score big in 2013, and in coming seasons they hope that score is on a new scoreboard.

But that may be a long term goal unless the Jags come up with some creative funding ideas.

“I’m not willing to say what the limits are until I hear what some of these ideas are that are being tossed around about how to afford it,” says Jacksonville City Council President Bill Bishop.

Bishop is excited about the prospect of a new scoreboard- saying what we have at EverBank is “anemic” compared to college fields like Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville.  He says until this point there hasn’t really been any substantive discussion on the upgrade, but after the energy coming from all the Jaguars-related announcements this week, he expects that will change.

“I think it’s real important that the city get behind this and we all work together to find a way to make it happen,” he says.

While he acknowledges that there are not enough city resources available to fund something like that- which would cost an estimated $50 million- right now, he says the Jags have vowed to come up with some new ideas.  Ultimately, he says, the city also needs to realize the benefit this has beyond the Jags.

“These things are not just a one-off expense. This is a long term investment for the betterment of the stadium for all of the events that happen there,” Bishop says.

EverBank also hosts the Florida/Georgia game, Gator Bowl and other sporting events each year, and the city believes it could be more competitive in getting new games- like the SEC Championship- with the upgrade.

Bishop couldn’t really estimate just how long it will take for discussion to turn to action, and from that action to the actual upgrade, but he says it’s in everyone’s interest to get it dome.