JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Who says dogs and cats can't get along?
The Jacksonville Jaguars certainly don't have an issue with canine companions, and they're proving it by partnering with Pet Paradise Resort and Day Spa to construct and open a dog park in the south end zone area of EverBank Field this fall.
It will be the first dog park in an NFL stadium.
"I think it's something unique," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said Thursday at the annual state of the franchise address. "It really defines us in a good way and it's the energy of the town, and I think it's another innovative thing the Jaguars are doing."
The 2,000-square-foot dog park features a swimming pool, artificial turf, palm trees and TV/internet capability so owners can check on their dogs throughout the game. Fernando Acosta-Rua, the president and CEO of Pet Paradise, said more details will be released in the coming weeks but said fans will not be able to just walk up on game day and purchase a ticket for entrance to the park.
The park is expected to be open by the start of the 2018 season.
"People are just taking their pets everywhere now," Acosta-Rua said. "It's something that, yes, definitely from another amenity standpoint, pets are just becoming more and more part of the family, so it's a natural extension to be able to take them wherever you're going."
In addition to announcing the dog park, a major concert at EverBank Field (Lynyrd Skynyrd with Kid Rock and Jason Aldean) and a military-themed interactive area in the north end zone, the Jaguars also unveiled their new uniforms Thursday.
Classic. Timeless. Tradition. pic.twitter.com/q5r6lau7V8
— #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) April 19, 2018
It was a bit anticlimactic, however, after artwork of the uniforms was hung at Jacksonville International Airport on Wednesday evening. Travelers heading toward baggage claim were able to see the uniforms more than 12 hours before they were to be revealed and photos of the new uniforms flew across social media Wednesday night.
Jaguars president Mark Lamping said that was the result of a "miscommunication" by the team and that the airport "had actually nothing to do with it."
Tom Coughlin, the Jaguars' executive vice president of football operations, played a major role in the design of the uniforms, which feature a cleaner, classic look reminiscent of the uniforms worn during the franchise's early years when Coughlin was the head coach.
Most notable is the dumping of the two-tone gold and black helmet. It's a shiny black now.
"True to our current identity and what we want to represent for years to come, our new uniforms are no-nonsense, all business and unmistakably Jaguars," Khan said. "Tradition has returned to Jacksonville."
The Jaguars also dumped the mustard-colored Color Rush uniforms for an all-teal look. The team can choose to wear the teal jerseys three times, including in a Color Rush game, in 2018.