Gator Bowl Stadium

Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl in 1961
Map
Former namesFairfield Stadium (1927–1948)
Coordinates30°19′26″N 81°38′15″W / 30.32389°N 81.63750°W / 30.32389; -81.63750
OwnerCity of Jacksonville
OperatorCity of Jacksonville
Capacity7,600 (1927–1947)
16,000 (1948)
36,058 (1949–1956)
62,000 (1957–1973)
72,000 (1974–1983)
80,126 (1984–1994)
SurfaceNatural grass
Construction
Broke ground1927
Opened1928
Closed1994
Demolished1994
Tenants

The Gator Bowl was an American football stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Originally built in 1927, all but a small portion was razed in 1994 in preparation for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars' inaugural season; the reconstructed stadium became Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, now EverBank Stadium. The old stadium and its replacement have hosted the Gator Bowl, a post-season college football bowl game, since its inception in 1946. It also hosted the Florida–Georgia game, an annual college football rivalry game between the University of Florida and the University of Georgia, and was home to several professional sports teams, including the Jacksonville Sharks and Jacksonville Express of the World Football League (WFL), the Jacksonville Tea Men soccer team, and the Jacksonville Bulls of the United States Football League.