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Jacksonville Jaguars counsel patience for fans attending opening game against Carolina
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- Jacksonville Jaguars counsel patience for fans attending opening game against Carolina
Jacksonville Jaguars Chief Operating Officer Chad Johnson gave the team's fans a solid grade for navigating the construction and traffic patterns around EverBank Stadium for the Aug. 7 preseason game against Pittsburgh .
That was with the stadium less than half-full. The regular-season opener on Sept. 7 against the Carolina Panthers (1 p.m., FOX-30), with double the fans within the stadium footprint, will be another matter.
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Arriving early and being patient is the best advice the team can give fans.
But Johnson has confidence that it will be as smooth an experience as can be expected, given the loss of some parking near the stadium and other entry points, such as escalators at Gates 2 and 3, due to work on the Stadium of the Future , plus the Four Seasons Hotel and the team's administration building across Bay Street.
Chandler Kuchta, 7, attended his first preseason game where the Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday Aug. 9, 2025, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
"It's been a month since our preseason game, which I think was a great experience for people," Johnson said on Sept. 4 at the Miller Electric Center. "They got a chance to understand and learn what the differences were with construction and how to come in and manage their game experience. Our fans were great. Our fans really managed it well."
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Johnson credited Jaguars fans for following updates
Johnson said an information blitz before the preseason game, through local media, the team's social media accounts, emails and text messages to season-ticket holders and push notifications was effective for the Steelers game not only because of the volume of information disseminated and the platforms it was shared on, but because fans consumed it and applied it to the gameday experience.
"The information was out there like crazy," he said. "But fans did learn. It was clear that people really responded and listened."
Nothing will change. Fans can monitor local media and sites such as the X sites for the Jaguars and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office for gameday updates.
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Procedures mostly unchanged since preseason game
There will be no major changes to the experience of getting from home to stadium seats for the Panthers game.
Among the items fans need to remember:
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Stadium parking lots will open at 9 a.m.
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Gate 4 (or the "Super Gate"), located on the Southeast corner of the stadium near Daily's Place, will open at 10 a.m.
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All other stadium gates will open at 11 a.m.
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The main concourse is the only way fans can navigate the circumference of the stadium.
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Only fans holding club seat tickets can enter through the club seat gates.
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No traffic patterns have changed to this point. Fans can still utilize their favorite route to the stadium.
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Fans who will have to park in lots further from the stadium can ride to their gate on golf carts driven by stadium staff. There will be 26 eight-passenger golf carts in use.
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For any issues, fans should look for stadium personnel wearing maroon shirts. Fans can also access a stadium and parking map at jaguars.com/stadium.
Cabanas, hospitality will be open
Stadium hospitality areas such as the spas (pools) and cabanas in the North End Zone and the sky patio above the South End Zone Terrance Suite are open.
Fans must use ramps to get to the main concourse, then to their seats. But for those who have physical limitations or have difficulty finding their section and seats, assistance can be requested at the gates, with extra personnel hired.
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Temperatures will soar and fans should hydrate
The game-time temperatures are forecast to be in the low 90s and Johnson said one measure being taken is that fans are allowed to bring in two bottles of water, as opposed to one allowed in the past.
The water can be refilled at various fountains throughout the stadium.
Fans are advised to wear sunscreen and limit their alcohol consumption.
What will be the future impact of stadium construction?
Johnson said there could be additional changes in the process as early as the next home game on Sept. 21 vs. Houston but the team will begin sending out alerts as soon as possible.
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The Jags will play in Jacksonville for the 2026 season at reduced capacity (only the lower bowl will be open) of about 43,500.
The team likely will play home games in Orlando in 2027.
The Jaguars will return to home games at the completed Stadium of the Future in 2028.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars fans advised to arrive early, show patience at opening game
