In a few months, tens of thousands of college football fans will pack Camping World Stadium as it hosts LSU and Florida State in what is expected to be a top-25 matchup on Labor Day Weekend.
Orlando will once again showcase itself as a sports destination with a nationally televised game in prime time featuring two of the premier programs.
It’s another example of how Camping World Stadium — or the Citrus Bowl as many longtime residents still prefer to call it — has thrived as a sports and entertainment venue. And while the structure has evolved through the years with multiple expansions and renovations, it remains a community fixture.
But with the introduction of multibillion-dollar, state-of-the-art venues such as SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles) and Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas), the competition to host major events such as the College Football Playoff or blockbuster concerts has heated up.
When FIFA announced the North American cities that would host the 2026 World Cup games in June, Orlando wasn’t chosen despite bidding on the event. Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Dallas’ AT&T Stadium, Houston’s NRG Stadium and Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium were among the 16 sites selected.
The Greater Orlando Sports Commission was among the group to organize the bid and CEO Jason Siegel knows precisely what’s needed to be competitive in the marketplace.
“As our community master plans for the next five to 10 years and you take a look at the competitive climate in the sports and entertainment community, it’s important that leadership, both elected and corporate and community, takes a good look at our comp set and takes a good look at what’s happening in other markets,” said Siegel. “The competition has never been more intense.
“You’re seeing investment and reinvestment in many markets we compete against to bring major marquee sporting events, big concerts and family shows. It’s exciting that those conversations occur because our tourism community of hoteliers, restaurants and theme parks drive tremendous economic impact.”
According to Siegel, hosting the 2026 World Cup games would have given Orlando an economic impact valued at $739 million.
Camping World Stadium underwent a $60 million upgrade in 2021, the latest phase of a renovation project started in 2006.
That project included a complete renovation of the 41,000-seat lower bowl, club and suites spaces including a press box, multiple giant video boards and enhanced restrooms and concession spaces. It didn’t, however, include redoing the two upper-deck seating areas. Those upgrades were expected to come later, but an economic recession coupled with the I-4 Ultimate Improvement Project and the coronavirus pandemic put that project phase on hold.
But a recent economic uptick has some officials wondering if now is the right time to complete those stadium renovations.
Orange County has more than $300 million in reserve accounts funded by the Tourist Development Tax, a 6% tax on hotel stays and short-term rentals. The TDT brought in about $336 million last season and, according to the county comptroller’s office, the numbers through the first four months are on pace for $30.6 million a month.
The TDT is used to help promote tourism in the area along with funding projects such as the Orange County Convention Center, Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts and Camping World Stadium expansions.
“Camping World Stadium is a wonderful asset that we have in our community and plays a significant role in our local economy,” Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings said in a statement to the Sentinel. “There is no question that it will need upgrades to remain competitive in hosting sporting and entertainment events. The question is, how should the upgrades be paid for?
“I will look to our Tourist Development Tax (TDT) Task Force with Orange County citizen input to help the Board of County Commission prioritize how to spend TDT unencumbered revenue. Under Florida law, such decisions must be made regarding the many community needs and eligible uses for TDT funding. The work of the task force lies ahead and is essential to the decision-making process for the Board of County Commission.”
Said Siegel: “The Tourist Development Tax that’s derived and to have to reinvest and to drive additional economic impact return on investment. We know that and can show a history of successful outcomes dating back to the initial creation of the tourism development tax.”
Steve Hogan has been a part of Florida Citrus Sports for more than a quarter of a century, and as CEO he’s been at the forefront of bringing some of the top events to Camping World Stadium. He’s seen the shifting landscape and knows the importance of having a top-notch venue.
“It’s critical we finish the job,” said Hogan. “Camping World had to take the long view when the venue’s [original] plan was approved in 2006. We asked for a 65,000-seat building with 100,000 square feet of flexible space. There wasn’t enough money, so we had to do what we could and from that point forward, we’ve been doing it with the resources available, but we’re still not done.
“I believe the tourism community believes the convention center and the stadium are probably two of the biggest pieces of this discussion.”
The final step in the stadium project is replacing the upper deck with the 18,000 seats being redistributed to allow for wider aisles and more legroom for spectators. The structure would extend around the north side of the building.
The original design also called for 100,00 square feet of flexible space, which was supposed to be located in the structure under the club space. Still, Hogan believes holding off on completing that part of the plan could wind up being a benefit for the venue.
“Maybe it’s some good fortune we didn’t end up having the money in Round 1 to complete the stadium,” he said. “It’s better to have that on the property but decoupled from underneath the seating bowl.”
Hogan points to Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, Hard Rock Stadium or Jacksonville’s TIAA Bank Stadium as venues that benefit from additional flexible space to host events.
“They’re essential because the biggest events need a lot of space,” he said. “They’ve got to do a lot of pre-and-post setups and we don’t have that here, so these facilities are critical for booking the business you want to book and the stadium in tandem.”
While the upper deck seating and flexible space venue would finish the original stadium project, Hogan isn’t going to stand pat. He believes an open-air canopy over the stadium — similar to the one used at Hard Rock Stadium — would help take the venue to new heights when competing for sporting and music events.
“A canopy puts you on a global stage and Hard Rock has proven that,” he said.
Hard Rock Stadium added its 14-acre shade canopy as part of a $350 million renovation project in 2015.
Hogan didn’t share the cost of completing the final phase of the reconstruction of Camping World Stadium, but he did say there would be cost estimation numbers provided when they present their plans to the TDT Task Force.
That group is co-chaired by former Sentinel managing editor Jane Healy and Florida Blue’s Tony Jenkins and consists of representatives from the tourism industry, area leaders and various organizations with ties to the community. They are charged with determining how the money should be allocated.
The task force is scheduled to meet five times before completing its work by July, when it’s expected to provide a report or presentation to the Tourism Development Council and the Board of County Commissioners on its findings.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.
