The NCAA awarded the University of North Florida the 2027 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field First Round Championships.
Edward Waters University was also awarded the opportunity to host the 2027 NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Championship and the 2028 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
It is a first for Jacksonville, which has never hosted three different championships in a two-year period, and this marks the first time Jacksonville will host the two Division II collegiate tournaments.
Edward Waters University partnered with the University of North Florida to make the Division II Championships possible, after Edward Waters University’s promotion to Division II opened the door for Jacksonville to bid on Division II national championships.
“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 collaborative effort between the entities has been a game-changer in Jacksonville’s sports bidding efforts.
These strong partnerships have changed how Jacksonville focuses on future sports, resulting in bids for 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.
“The future is bright for bringing even more events to Jacksonville. This spring, the Atlantic Sun Conference announced Jacksonville as the new home for the conference, with the promise of future conference championships considering Jacksonville,” Corrigan said. “With the ASUN as another powerful partner, we expand Jacksonville's portfolio. Successfully hosting these new championships will further establish our city as a sports destination, resulting in even more events considering Jacksonville and putting our destination on a bigger national stage.”
In addition to hosting the upcoming NCAA tournaments, Jacksonville will also host the AAU College Ice Hockey National Championships (March 2025), USA Gymnastics Trampoline & Tumbling – Elite Challenge (May 2025), ESA Southeastern Regional Championship (Surfing April 2025) and USA Surfing Prime Series (March 2025).
Earlier this year, the city was announced as the home of the AAU Track and Field Primary Nationals and Club Championships. It hosted the event in July at the University of North Florida. Jacksonville also hosted the Cricket SIAC Men’s Volleyball Championship at Edward Waters University in April.
