| Gator Bowl | |
|---|---|
The Gator Bowl in 1961 |
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| Former names | Fairfield Stadium (1927-1948) |
| Broke ground | 1927 |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Closed | 1994 |
| Demolished | 1994 |
| Owner | City of Jacksonville |
| Operator | City of Jacksonville |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Capacity | 7,600 (1927) 36,058 (1949) 62,000 (1957-1994) |
| Tenants | |
| Gator Bowl (1946-93) Florida vs. Georgia Football Classic (1933-1993) Jacksonville Sharks/Express (WFL) (1974-75) Jacksonville Tea Men (NASL) (1981-82) Jacksonville Bulls (USFL) (1984-85) |
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The Gator Bowl was an American football stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Originally built in 1927, it was radically reconstructed in 1994 in preparation for the Jacksonville Jaguars inaugural season and became Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, now EverBank Field. It is most notable for hosting the Gator Bowl, a post-season college football bowl game which still bears the name. It also hosted the Florida–Georgia game, an annual college football rivalry game between the University of Florida and the University of Georgia, and was home to several professional sports teams, including the Jacksonville Sharks of the World Football League (WFL), the Jacksonville Tea Men soccer team, and the Jacksonville Bulls of the United States Football League.
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Jacksonville's first football venue was built in 1927–1928 with a seating capacity of 7,600. Known as Fairfield Stadium, it primary purpose was to serve as home field for Jacksonville's three new high schools—Lee, Jackson & Landon. At the opening of the stadium, Florida Governor John W. Martin called the stadium "the best place in Florida to watch a football game!"
On January 1, 1946, the stadium received national attention when it hosted the first Gator Bowl game. The stadium was expanded to 16,000 seats in 1948, and the structure was renamed the Gator Bowl.[1] Prior to the 1949 game, the seating capacity was expanded to 36,058, at which it remained until 1957.[2]
It was home to the World Football League's Jacksonville Sharks in 1974 and the Jacksonville Express in 1975. It was the home of a North American Soccer League team, the Jacksonville Tea Men from 1981 to 1982 and then a United States Football League team, the Jacksonville Bulls from 1984 to 1985.
Most notably, it was the site of the annual college football Gator Bowl from 1949 to 1993. It also hosted the annual Florida–Georgia game between the University of Georgia and the University of Florida college football teams from 1933 to 1993.
The Gator Bowl hosted the 1968 and 1969 AFL All-Star Games.
The Beatles played a concert at the Gator Bowl on their first American Tour on September 11, 1964. It is notable because once the Beatles found out that the concert was going to be segregated, they refused to play there unless they allowed the audience to be desegregated. Paul McCartney went on record about their disapproval of the situation and their lack of understanding of segregation in the first place.[3] John Lennon said, "We never play to segregated audiences and we aren't going to start now. I'd sooner lose out appearance money".[4] They did end up playing to a desegregated audience.
The concert was also notable because it was held the day after Hurricane Dora struck St. Augustine and Jacksonville. Most of Jacksonville was without electricity and power was not restored for several days. Despite the hurricane, 23,000 fans attended, paying $4 and $5 for tickets. During the concert, Ringo Starr's drums were nailed to the stage because of 45 mph winds.[5]
The historic structure was almost entirely razed in 1994, as part of a massive remodeling effort which essentially built a new stadium. The new stadium was re-christened Jacksonville Municipal Stadium (known as Alltel Stadium from 1997 through 2006, and EverBank Field since August 2010). Almost none of the original infrastructure remains, except for the west upper deck (which was added in 1982) and the ramping system. While Jacksonville Municipal Stadium was being constructed, the Florida–Georgia game alternated between the two schools' home stadiums, with Florida's Florida Field hosting in 1994 and Georgia's Sanford Stadium hosting in 1995. Florida Field also hosted the 1994 Gator Bowl. The game resumed the following year in Jacksonville.
| Preceded by Fairfield Stadium |
Host of the Gator Bowl 1948–1993 |
Succeeded by Ben Hill Griffin Stadium |