JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For years, DJ Davis has treated the drive to Jacksonville like part of the ritual. He lives in Titusville — about an hour and a half from EverBank Stadium.
But for each and every Jaguars home game, Davis is there.
“It’s always the energy you get from the fans because no matter what you’re doing, everybody is cool,” he said.
That’s part of why the news hit Davis differently when NFL owners approved Orlando as the Jaguars’ temporary home for the 2027 season.
While the move is tied to Jacksonville’s Stadium of the Future plans, the immediate reality for fans is simpler: one season where “home” won’t be in Duval.
For Davis, that’s not a dealbreaker — it’s a rare break.
“I was excited,” he said. “Enjoy seeing my team — and sure, I can go to Jacksonville whenever I want — but I get to go enjoy it from home.”
‘Home’ is more than a building
Plenty of Jaguars fans are already thinking through what the change means — not in headlines, but in hours and minutes, and how Sundays will look.
For Jacob Plicque, the adjustment starts with a simple contrast: most game days, he’s nearly there as soon as he leaves the house.
“Typically, from my perspective, I get up and I’m there in nine minutes,” Plicque said.
In 2027, it could mean leaving a day early, planning around traffic, or turning a game into a weekend.
Plicque said he’s already talking through options with friends.
“Absolutely! That’s not even a question,” he said.
He added that he’s hoping an Airbnb owner might be willing to give fans a discount on game weekends.
The part that travels: the people
For the 2027 season, some fans say there’s one thing that’s not staying behind in Jacksonville: the community.
Jessie Pawlish has been a fan since the team was announced. She said Jaguars Sundays are something closer to a reunion than a sporting event — built over years in the same sections, the same tailgates, the same highs and lows.
“It’s not just about football,” Pawlish said. “It’s about the people you surround yourself with.”
She said that’s why the idea of one season in Orlando feels less like losing something and more like taking it on the road — bringing the culture with them and introducing it to people who haven’t experienced it up close.
“You will walk up to somebody who’s a stranger and by the end of that game you’re best friends,” Pawlish said. “Walking away going, ‘What are we doing next? Where are we going next?’”
Orlando, consider this your warning
Fans also have a message for Orlando: don’t expect a quiet “neutral site” season.
“Expect the craziest energy you’ve ever seen,” Davis said. “Imagine the energy you see from the Orlando City fans, the Magic fans… imagine that personified. I can believe that we have the ability to bring good energy to the beautiful city of Orlando that we have here.”
And Plicque put it even more plainly — a blunt message for anyone in Orlando joining the Jaguars fandom.
“First of all, where you been?” he said. “We’ve been here the whole time. Welcome on board, I suppose, but expect very loud, ridiculous chaos because we’re Duval till we die — and that includes whatever county Orlando’s in.”