One of the emphases this offseason has been the improvement of the in stadium experience. The NFL is trying to make going to a game in person as good or better than staying at home, watching the game from your own couch. The Jacksonville Jaguars are making their own effort to sell tickets with a new food policy, per John Oehser.
"Food is permitted inside EverBank Field for Jacksonville Jaguars home games provided that it is unwrapped and placed inside a one-gallon clear plastic bag no larger than 11” x 11” (standard freezer bag). All food items are subject to visual inspection and may be subject to a more thorough inspection if deemed necessary. Stadium security and the Jacksonville Jaguars reserve the right to deny any food item from entering the gates. No outside liquids or beverages will be permitted to enter EverBank Field. If food or beverage is required for medical purposes, please contact the Jaguars Fan Services Department."
The new policy will likely be a big hit with fans, but it has a distinct downside to the team. Now that the Jaguars are giving fans the freedom to bring their own food inside the stadium, it would be a PR disaster to ever take that freedom away.
Concessions are one of the big downsides to going to NFL games in person. For my part, I virtually never buy anything from the concession stand. I'm simply exercising my consumer ability to not support huge mark-ups. Still, the NFL is a money making business, and at the end of the day, the owners are interested in generating as much money as possible. I applaud the Jaguars for essentially lowering the cost of concessions by allowing fans to bring in outside food items, provided its in large clear ziploc bags. It's a new policy that could catch on with other teams, especially with franchises that have a difficult time selling tickets.
