JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s been 20 years since Jacksonville hosted the 2005 Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.
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On Feb. 6, 2005, more than 100,000 fans, media, and celebrities were in Jacksonville for the big game at what was then called Alltel Stadium.
The Patriots won the game, but the date marked a new beginning for Jacksonville.
Twenty years later, Mike Weinstein, who led the Super Bowl Host Committee, looked back on the momentous day, which is also his birthday.
“As soon as we were awarded the game on Feb. 6 the game here would be played on my birthday,” Weinstein said.
All the prep work behind the scenes went through Weinstein. It was an investment he said was well worth it.
“A lot of people visited here that never came to Jacksonville came because of the game,” he said. “Some people stayed, some people brought business. It ended up being a catalyst for a lot of other things.”
A lot can change in 20 years. The Jacksonville Landing, once a downtown centerpiece is gone.
Construction on the Four Seasons Hotel is coming along and the Stadium of the Future is still on the way.
“By the time the game is here in ‘28 all the downtown parks will be done,” Weinstein said. “Four Seasons will be done, the office building next to Four Seasons will be done. The Gateway Project on Pearl Street will be done. We are continuing to evolve, and downtown is doing better now than it’s done in a really long time.”
Now the question is--can Jacksonville host another Super Bowl in the future?
Weinstein says the sky’s the limit and we’re getting there.
“What we still have to work on is downtown, we need more hotels, we need more residents downtown and they’re coming. I think that once the stadium is complete in ‘28 and with the addition that’s already coming between now and ‘28, we should begin after ’28 to pursue the opportunity to apply again,” Weinstein said.
Let us know your favorite memories from the Super Bowl.
