Oct 27, 2012; Jacksonville, FL, USA; A general view of the stadium and field before the game between the Florida Gators and the Georgia Bulldogs at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports

Updating Everbank Field has become a “vital” part of keeping the Jacksonville Jaguars up to date, says owner Shahid Khan.  Khan sat for an interview with Forbes to talk over everything from front office changes to HDTV effects, but the scoreboard may be the biggest thing for the Jaguars and the Jacksonville community.

It’s a publicly-owned stadium and there are a lot of events other than us. The stadium, the scoreboard is not the cutting edge state of the art and you need that. The city needs that to attract a BCS game, the Florida-Georgia game and a lot of other sports. But we need it to have an experience where people want to go to the stadium far above their HDTVs at home.

Khan has his eyes on anything from cold-calling business to playing games in London to letting kids shorter than 34 inches into games free, all to improve the fan’s experience at The Bank.  It’s the kind of focus on the fan that is becoming a signature part of Khan’s ownership of the Jags.

The new scoreboards will be the biggest in the NFL and will enable the fans at the game to get more than just the occasional replay.  It will provide an experience that gives the fan more than just the price of admission and ability to enjoy a game with thousands of other fans.  Looking to catch up with what computers and HDTVs can do for fans at home, the Jaguars are serious about their investment in Jacksonville and Everbank Field.  Last season they improved the locker rooms and this year they are showing it’s about the fans as well.

- Luke N. Sims

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Dec 16, 2011; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars new owner Shahid Khan talks to the media during a press conference at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars continue to make investments in staying in Jacksonville.  A little over a year ago the team was still listed as one of the more likely franchises to relocate to Los Angeles.  Now, with a reinvigorated owner investing in Everbank Field and the Jacksonville community, we know the Jags are here to stay.  In return, the team is seeing renewed investment from its fans.

Last season the Jaguars had enough attendance to take the tarps off the upper decks for three games.  The team hasn’t seen a television blackout in three seasons.  In the 2013 offseason, ticket sales are rising even higher.  There is no better man to tell the fans about it than the owner, Shahid Khan himself, in an interview with Forbes:

 A year ago we were 29th in ticket sales. We finished 20th in ticket sales. The London experience is turning out to be everything and more than I thought. The game is sold out, we got marketing rights in London, which is the first time that’s happened…We’re also off to a record start on season ticket sales in Jacksonville even though we have raised prices and had a 2-14 season. We expect to have record season ticket sales. It’s about engaging the season ticket holders and doing a lot with the gameday experience.

The London game in particular is brining in a lot for the Jaguars.  The ticket revenue for the game in Wembley stadium is 44% higher.  Playing the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers has got to be helping in driving ticket sales over there as well.  The Jags are also expanding their London-dedicated sales and marketing staff.

Everything is looking up for the Jaguars in Jacksonville and as a brand with a bigger base.  The 32nd most popular team in the league will continue to rise in popularity and support (not that they need it locally) as they improve the gameday experience, market to a broader base, and put a better product on the field.  The latter of which is a rebuilding effort as the team tries to find the right strategy for the “Holy Grail” that is the football side of the Jaguars.

- Luke N. Sims

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Jan 18, 2013; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley, owner Shad Khan and general manager Dave Caldwell pose for photos after at a press conference at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in full rebuild mode.  Don’t be fooled by someone who preaches that this team is just a few good weeks away from 9-7 and sneaking into the playoffs.  The 2013 season will be ugly.  It will be an improvement on 2012, but it will be the first grinding beginning of a rebirth for the Jaguars.  You need look now further than the new talent in GM Dave Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley, but in case you needed a visual reminder, the Jaguars have a new logo and new uniforms coming too.

Owner Shahid Khan cleared this up during an interview with Forbes.  ”This is rebuilding, rebuilding from the ground up. There’s no illusion about that. This is about as clean and intense a rebuild as you’re going to have,”  said Khan.  As optimistic as I am about the Jaguars, I am not convinced that any rebuild will be clean.  The Indianapolis Colts had one of the cleanest rebuilds in recent memory and even they had an absolutely abysmal 2011 season to set up a much-improved 2012.

Khan knew that his team was underperforming in 2012, and part of that was due to coaching and personnel:

[The opponents] made halftime adjustments far better. We came out and did what we were doing before. They did different stuff. That told me that there was better leadership and coaching out there.  [Cleaning house] is disruptive and expensive. I just felt that it was the right thing to do for the fans, for the Jaguars. I was going to have a hard time looking myself in the mirror because I knew what we had to do. There was just no two ways about it.

The Jaguars are leaps and bounds ahead of where they were in 2012.  It all starts with the mentality and understanding of the team.  Last year’s approach to football was deemed “delusional” by Khan during the 2013 offseason.  The delusion is gone and the new brass is approaching the offseason without blinders.  They know that the team is a mess, but as the team trims dead branches and brings in new talent, everything starts to get a little cleaner and a lot stronger.

- Luke N. Sims

Feel free to leave comments on here or visit us at Facebook or Twitter!

You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims