Orlando sports fans can afford to get a little greedy these days. The runaway success of Orlando City, the second major league sports franchise in the city after the Orlando Magic, has plenty of people thinking big about Orlando’s sports future. Except for baseball, there is at least some professional form of every major American sports in the city.
The sports options are endless.
So the Orlando Business Journal asked its readers what team it would like to see next. And somewhat predictably the respondents said they overwhelmingly would like to see a NFL team move to town.
Richard Bilbao of the Orlando Business Journal notes more than half of all respondents would want a NFL franchise to move to Orlando. And about a quarter would want a Major League Baseball team to move to Orlando.
Of course, this is all a pipe dream. A lot would have to happen for the city to secure a NFL franchise. And most of it has to do with the stadium.
While the Orlando Citrus Bowl was just renovated, it did not get the upgrade it would need for a NFL stadium. There simply are not enough luxury suites and amenities for a potential NFL franchise.
The NFL is still incredibly popular in Orlando. Bars downtown are packed for football Sundays and the city turned up in big numbers to watch last weekend’s AFC Championship Game.
Orlando itself though has not hosted a NFL game since before 2000. The city used to secure at least one preseason game before teams started preferring to keep the ticket in their home stadiums. The NFL has not been to Orlando since.
For fans to get their live football fix, they have to rely on UCF or the Orlando Predators typically. The Orlando Kickoff Classic will come to the Citrus Bowl for the season opener between Florida State and Ole Miss and Florida State will hold its spring practice in April. Then there are always the bowl games.
The NFL though is only a dream.
[…] it certainly is not among the elite like the NFL stadiums that host the Outback Bowl and Taxslayer Bowl, it serves its purpose for a good football […]