Jacksonville will play host to three NCAA athletic events in 2027 and 2028, Visit Jacksonville announced.
In a first for the city, the NCAA awarded Edward Waters University two Division II events: the women’s volleyball championship in 2027 and the men’s and women’s track and field championships in 2028.
In addition, the University of North Florida will be a first-round site of the 2027 NCAA Division I men’s and women’s track and field championships.
A news release said Jacksonville has never held three different championships in a two-year period.
“We are thrilled Jacksonville was awarded these tournaments and look forward to welcoming fans, friends and family for the events,” said Michael Corrigan, president and CEO of Visit Jacksonville and president of the Jacksonville Sports Foundation. “The collective work of Visit Jacksonville, Jacksonville Sports Foundation, Jacksonville City Council, the City of Jacksonville Office of Sports and Entertainment, Edward Waters University, Jacksonville University and University of North Florida made it possible to secure these tournaments, and we look forward to the opportunity to continue working with the NCAA to bring more events to Florida’s Championship City.”
The release said Edward Waters University partnered with UNF to help land the Division II events. Edward Waters University’s promotion to Division II opened the door for Jacksonville to bid on the championships.
Jacksonville bid on 16 NCAA Division I and II championships for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years in men’s and women’s basketball, outdoor track and soccer, and women’s volleyball.
In January 2023, the Jacksonville City Council approved the creation of the Jacksonville Sports Foundation and a $1.5 million transfer of funds from the Tourist Development Council to Visit Jacksonville to promote local sports tourism. The TDC oversees hotel bed tax revenue, a 6% tax on local hotel rooms.
Council member Ron Salem, then Council president, initiated the legislation. Among the events he said he hoped to attract was the NCAA March Madness men’s basketball tournament, which played opening rounds in Jacksonville four times from 2006 through 2019.
Visit Jacksonville is Duval County’s marketing organization for tourism. The Jacksonville Sports Foundation is a nonprofit organization that promotes sports tourism in the city.