Gator Bowl Stadium
The Gator Bowl in 1961
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| Former names | Fairfield Stadium (1927–1948) |
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| Coordinates | 30°19′26″N 81°38′15″W / 30.32389°N 81.63750°WCoordinates: 30°19′26″N 81°38′15″W / 30.32389°N 81.63750°W |
| Owner | City of Jacksonville |
| Operator | City of Jacksonville |
| Capacity | 7,600 (1927–1947) 16,000 (1948) 36,058 (1949–1956) 62,000 (1957–1973) 72,000 (1974–1983) 80,126 (1984–1994) |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1927 |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Closed | 1994 |
| Demolished | 1994 |
| Tenants | |
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Gator Bowl (1946–1993) Florida–Georgia football game (1933–1993) Jacksonville Sharks/Express (WFL) (1974–1975) Jacksonville Tea Men (NASL) (1981–1982) Jacksonville Bulls (USFL) (1984–1985) |
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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 Jacksonville Jaguars' inaugural season; the reconstructed stadium became Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, now EverBank Field. The old stadium and its replacement have hosted the Gator Bowl, a post-season college football bowl game now known as the Taxslayer Bowl, 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 of the World Football League (WFL), the Jacksonville Tea Men soccer team, and the Jacksonville Bulls of the United States Football League.
Jacksonville's first football venue was built in 1927 and 1928 with a seating capacity of 7,600. Known as Fairfield Stadium, its primary purpose was to serve as home field for Jacksonville's three new high schools—Lee, Jackson and Landon. At the opening of the stadium, Florida Governor John W. Martin called the stadium "the best place in Florida to watch a football game!"
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