JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville's EverBank Field is set to have a major showdown on the field Saturday November 5, 2016, after an announcement was made Wednesday, saying that the 2016 Navy vs. Notre Dame college football game was coming to town.
The showdown was announced by Chet Gladchuck, with the Naval Academy Director of Athletics and Jacksonville Sports Council President and CEO Rick Catlett, who said the game would be nationally televised.
"I would like to thank Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk and the Naval Academy for entrusting us with the time honored tradition of the Navy-Notre Dame game," said Catlett. "With three major naval facilities in our community, the city of Jacksonville is very proud to be a Navy town and this event will give us the opportunity to thank these young men and women for their service to our country."
Northeast Florida has a strong military presence with area military installations such as Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Naval Station Mayport, Kings Bay Naval Base, Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, Naval Aviation Depot Jacksonville and Marine Corps Blount Island Command providing employment to more than 50,000 active duty, reserve and civilian men and women.
This will be the third time that Navy has played a game in Jacksonville. The Midshipmen played regular season games against Georgia Tech at the Gator Bowl in 1964 and again in 1973. It will also mark the second Navy-Notre Dame game to be played in Florida as the two teams met in Orlando in 2000.
Navy and Notre Dame have the longest, continuous intersectional rivalry in college football, which should set the stage for an exciting game.
Mayor Lenny Curry was also on hand for the announcement and believes this will bring a huge economic boost to the city.
"One city, one Jacksonville, go Navy, go Notre Dame, and let's go have a good football game," Curry said. "When there is stuff happening, locals come, and they come in large numbers."
That economic impact is expected to be around $10 - $12 million, in line with the $15 million the Florida versus Georgia game brings in. But more than the money, people are saying this is huge for the city, because it puts Jacksonville on a national platform and helps people from around the country get to know the city.
"This will all be new money coming to Jax from all over the country. Notre Dame is America's number one brand in college football. The last time they came here we sold tickets in 49 states," Catlett said.
Which is why Catlett is advising people to get their tickets early. He said the last two years have been instrumental in allowing Jacksonville to become home to more neutral site games and hopes that trend continues moving forward.
"We did the FSU-Alabama game, which was a tremendous game, and we thought we were on a roll, but we couldn't get access to the stadium. Now we have access to the stadium, and I think with Mayor Curry coming on board, the city will be very supportive, so I think you'll see a lot more neutral site games here," Catlett said.
JAXSPORTS is currently accepting requests for tickets to the 2016 Navy-Notre Dame game, which are available on a priority system. JAXSPORTS members and TaxSlayer Bowl ticket holders get first priority followed by general requests.
To request tickets to the game or for more information on how to become a JAXSPORTS member, please call (904) 798-1700 or visit jacksonvillesportscouncil.com. Membership is $50.