The Jacksonville Jaguars have embraced the NFL’s London experiment more than any other team in the league. The Jaguars are the only team to play one game a year in London, and now they’re on their way to becoming an even more permanent fixture.
According to City A.M., the Jaguars are exploring creating a permanent facility in London to make preparation easier for their yearly game.
“The Jags are keen to set up a training facility near Wembley to make it easier for players and staff to prepare when they come to the city for their annual fixture at the national stadium.
“Officials from the Florida-based team say they have held informal discussions with Brent Council about the proposals, which include provision for community use of the facility when the NFL is not in town.”
The Jaguars have long been rumored to be the NFL’s long-desired London franchise. Owner Shahid Khan also owns the Fulham Football Club in London. The franchise seems to agree quite publicly with the rumors that it wants a stake in London, even if team officials won’t go so far to say that the club is committing to the city full-time:
Jags senior vice-president for international development Hussain Naqi told City A.M. in September, before the team’s most recent visit: “We very much view ourselves as London’s team and, the way we have been embraced by Londoners, we think that that is a reciprocal view.”
It’s unclear when the league will make a decision on whether to commit to London with a full-time franchise. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has said that the NFL could decide by 2020. When that happens, expect the Jaguars to be the hot name to make the hop across the pond.
