![]() Ĭharlotte was awarded the first franchise – the Carolina Panthers – in October 1993. The troubled negotiations over the Gator Bowl lease led the ownership group to withdraw from the NFL expansion bidding in July 1993. ![]() Additionally, the Gator Bowl was outdated, and the ownership group struggled to negotiate a lease with the city. There were 635,000 people in Jacksonville proper according to the 1990 census, but only 900,000 people in the metropolitan area. Although Jacksonville was the 15th largest city in the nation at the time (It has since grown to become the 11th-largest), it has always been a medium-sized market because the surrounding suburbs and rural areas are far smaller than the city itself. The Jacksonville metropolitan area and television market were smaller than those of nearly every team in the league. Jacksonville was considered the least likely expansion candidate for several reasons. Touchdown Jacksonville! announced its bid for a team, and Jacksonville was ultimately chosen as one of five finalists, along with Charlotte, St. In 1991, the NFL announced plans to add two expansion teams in 1994 (later delayed until 1995), its first expansion since the 1976 addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The group initially included future Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Jacksonville developer Tom Petway, and came to be led by shoe magnate Wayne Weaver, founder of Nine West. In 1989, the prospective ownership group Touchdown Jacksonville! was organized. Main article: History of the Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville and the NFL (1989–1994)
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