Our 2013 NFL Tech Series follows all 32 NFL teams up until kickoff on Week 1. Each feature includes the latest from each organization, spanning stadium WiFi upgrades, mobile technology, fan engagement, and the tech used by players and coaches to gain an edge. Front office personnel and technology staff throughout the league provided an inside look at how each team plans on improving their franchise through hi-tech advancements. In this new age of technology in sports we are uncovering the many new innovations and strategies being used by teams and where the present and future of NFL technology lies. Today, we look at the Jacksonville Jaguars and their $63 million renovation to Everbank Field, strong investment in analytics, and the new ways in which they are entertaining fans at games.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are in a rebuilding stage both on and off the field. On the field they are working to establish some sort of consistent play at the Quarterback position and hold on to what is left of the prime of Maurice Jones-Drew’s career. Off the field they are one of the more progressive NFL teams in terms of data analysis, in-game fan engagement, and stadium renovations.
On June 18th the Jaguars announced a new $63 million dollar stadium renovation that will begin after this upcoming season. The renovation will provide a much needed facelift to Everbank Field and help quell rumors of the team’s relocation. These enhancements include new video scoreboards in each end zone measuring 55 by 301 feet, two sideline boards each measuring 3.6 by 579 feet, one display in the North End Zone measuring 10 by 400 feet, and numerous other video displays around the stadium. Additionally, all of these new video displays will be accompanied by a scoreboard control room equipped with state-of-the-art software that allows the Jaguars to specifically control the messages on each board and better engage fans.
The renovation will also include a new entertainment area in the north end zone with swimming pools, and food and beverage cabanas. The installation of this entertainment area will cause the removal of 7,000 seats from the current stands. Although temporary seating can be installed for other major Everbank Field events that will require a larger crowd.
These upgrades around the stadium has Jaguars’ owner Shahid Kahn excited about what they will bring to the city as a whole. In the press conference where the renovations for Everbank Field were announced Kahn said, “Enhancing our stadium is a positive step toward the strategic goal of Downtown revitalization, as well, and it’s an opportunity to play to our strengths as a destination for sports and entertainment. Beyond the Jaguars games, we can expect the stadium enhancements to engage the thousands of fans who come to Jacksonville for the Florida-Georgia game, the Gator Bowl and other major events at EverBank Field.”
In addition to the many upgrades and additions the Jaguars are implementing to enhance the fan experience they are also rumored to be pondering the addition of airing the NFL Red Zone channel during games. With the many new video displays that the Jaguars are installing it could be a smart addition to the in-game experience that will help to fight one of the biggest problems that the NFL, and especially the Jaguars, are facing: fan attendance.
More fans are choosing to stay at home and watch their big screen TVs, enjoy strong wifi connections, and avoid high ticket prices than actually attend games. But if the Jaguars do decide to air the NFL Red Zone channel on one of their many new video display boards they will certainly make the idea of attending a game at Everbank Field much more enticing to NFL fans in Jacksonville. Also, according to many NFL experts and prognosticators the Jags will be one of the worst teams in the league this year so any strategy they can use to get fans in the stands will be wise. Even if that strategy means showing live red zone action from other teams around the league.
Additionally, as the Jaguars are in an aforementioned rebuilding period, they are turning to more than just stadium renovations to get the franchise moving in the right direction. Advanced statistical analysis and analytics have become a main weapon for the Jaguars as they rebuild their future. Shahid Khan hired his son, Tony Khan, who has a finance degree from Illinois and an analytics background, to be the Senior VP of Football Technology and Analytics for the Jags. Tony and the analytics department have begun using analytics to help the team with choosing draft picks, player analysis, and injury prevention.
During this year’s NFL draft the Jaguars analytics department and personnel department worked closely together to decide what to do with the second overall pick. They ultimately decided to pick Luke Joeckel, an offensive tackle from Texas A&M, because not only did they like his top tier physical attributes and competitiveness, but Tony Khan produced stats that explained how Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert was actually in the top third of the league in efficiency when he was given 2.6 seconds to throw or more as opposed to having 2.5 seconds or less to throw. Meaning, based on the analytics he actually isn’t that far away from being a consistent quarterback if he could just get a split second of more protection from pass rushers.
Luke Joeckel is just one example of how the Jaguars are using analytics to become smarter and more informed about the decisions they are making to rebuild their franchise. In a Sports Illustrated interview Khan spoke about the potential he sees for analytics. “The things you can learn-route running for receivers, closing speed for defensive backs and linebackers-are huge. The biggest implementation, though, is for rehab and injury prevention: making sure you’re putting the optimum stress load on a player.”
By adding Tony Khan and and creating an entirely new position for him to head up a department that was previously being underutilized, the Jags are hoping to get ahead of the curve and tap into the powerful insights that analytics could to bring to the NFL. Tony recently spoke with Seattle Sports Radio to discuss the role analytics currently plays in the NFL and its potential for the future of football.
To their credit the Jaguars are one of the more aggressive teams in pursuing the establishment of a bright future by implementing advanced stadium upgrades, progressive ideas in entertaining fans at games, and applying analytical insights to team strategy. They are positioning themselves to have a strong future and a long stay in Jacksonville but the next step will be to start winning on the field. When all these pieces of the puzzle come together for the Jags it will be intriguing to monitor them over the next decade or so and see where the franchise is after years of analytics-based draft picks and new fan engagement strategies.