It seems like a mere formality, at this point, that London will land an NFL franchise at some point in the near future. The question now isn't about whether they will get one, it's when and, more importantly, which one.
The Jaguars have been touted as obvious candidates by outsiders. They reside in a smaller U.S. market and are owned by Billionaire Shahid Khan - who doubles as the owner of London-based soccer team Fulham F.C. They've also played more London games than anybody else in the league, and now, they might have just taken one step closer to a move.
According to the London newspaper City A.M., the Jaguars are seriously looking into the possibility of opening a training facility in London.
So read the latest news as you will. This could be a further testing of the waters, with the potential London team-in-waiting exploring plans for a second base to make travel for them and other teams following a potential move more manageable. Or it could be nothing than the Jacksonville Jaguars trying to make life easier for themselves when they do make those on-off trips to England's capital.
The Jaguars have been touted as obvious candidates by outsiders. They reside in a smaller U.S. market and are owned by Billionaire Shahid Khan - who doubles as the owner of London-based soccer team Fulham F.C. They've also played more London games than anybody else in the league, and now, they might have just taken one step closer to a move.
According to the London newspaper City A.M., the Jaguars are seriously looking into the possibility of opening a training facility in London.
The Jags are keen to set up a training facility near Wembley to make it easier for players and staff to prepare when they come to the city for their annual fixture at the national stadium.
Officials from the Florida-based team say they have held informal discussions with Brent Council about the proposals, which include provision for community use of the facility when the NFL is not in town.
Now, to be fair, the Jags have long maintained that while they view themselves as "London's team", they haven't made an plans to make the move permanent. Jaguars fans also point to the more than $60 million - including about $20 million of Khan's own money - spent on EverBank Field renovations in 2014, plus a further $90 million pledged by the city itself last year.Officials from the Florida-based team say they have held informal discussions with Brent Council about the proposals, which include provision for community use of the facility when the NFL is not in town.
So read the latest news as you will. This could be a further testing of the waters, with the potential London team-in-waiting exploring plans for a second base to make travel for them and other teams following a potential move more manageable. Or it could be nothing than the Jacksonville Jaguars trying to make life easier for themselves when they do make those on-off trips to England's capital.
