TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Anchors New Year’s Weekend In Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 27, 2018–Jacksonville is coming alive to close out 2018 with an expanded lineup of events as the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Committee prepares to host the 74th annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. The New Year’s Eve matchup between NC State and Texas A&M takes place Monday at 7:30 p.m. at TIAA Bank Field, with a wave of activity leading up to and following the game.
Pep Rallies at Deck the Chairs: The festivities begin Sunday as the team Pep Rallies take over
Jacksonville Beach at Deck the Chairs. NC State’s pep rally kicks off the event at 4:00 p.m. along 1st Street at Seawalk Pavilion, followed by Texas A&M’s at 6:00 p.m. The Opelika High School Marching Band will perform at 5:00 p.m. and the Parris Island Marine Corps Band at 4:30 p.m. The evening concludes with Texas A&M Yell Practice at Sneakers Sports Grille in Jacksonville Beach–the event is free and open to the public. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as capacity for this event is limited. Music and pushups will begin at 11:53 and actual Yell practice begins at Midnight.
VyStar 5K New Year’s Eve Run:
Game day kicks off with the VyStar 5K New Year’s Eve Run presented by the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Dec. 31 at 2:00 p.m. at The Jacksonville Landing. Runners may support “Run for a Child” by making a $10 donation to support the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Dream Team–every donor will receive an arm band to support one of the Dream Team members. The Dream Team represents a group of 12 local children who are battling life threatening illnesses.When you cross the finish line of the VyStar 5K New Year’s Eve run, you will know that every step you ran is helping to raise funds to care
for sick and injured children. Register at 1stplacesports.com or on-site on race day.
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Game Day Schedule: TIAA Bank Field stadium gates 1 and 4 will
open early at 4:30 p.m. for Happy Hour at the TaxSlayer Tailgate.During Happy Hour, enjoy a specialty #SlayItNYE rum cocktail for $5 along with vendor booths, interactive
games and activities. All stadium gates open at 5:30 p.m. The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl pre-game show
presented by Fidelity National Financial will begin at 7:00 p.m. and kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.Following the game and trophy presentation, Platinum-selling recording artist Cole Swindell will perform on the field facing the south endzone. We’ll ring in 2019 from TIAA Bank Field with fireworks at midnight from the north scoreboard. Please note: Once you have entered the stadium, there is no stadium reentry.
TIAA Bank Field Security:
Fans attending the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl who have a mobile ticket should download their ticket to their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet to ensure expedited entry at the gates. Additionally, all patrons will be required to enter the gates through a metal detector. No food or drink will be permitted from outside of the stadium. The NFL Clear Bag policy will be in place for the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Complimentary clear bags are available at all Fan Information Booths and Will Call locations. Any clear bags measuring 12x6x12 or smaller may be carried into the facility. Ticket holders are permitted to bring seat cushions and blankets inside.
Stadium parking is available on game day for $30 in Lots H, K, X, and Z. Stadium lots will
open at 3:30 p.m. A drop-off area will be available on both the east and west side of the
stadium on game day for persons with disabilities. Patrons should enter Lot C or Lot M to access the drop-off area.
Game Day Transportation: The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is offering the
Gameday Xpress for the game. The Gameday Xpress will operate from two downtown
locations and the Jacksonville landing. Parking is included in the shuttle ticket price. The Gameday Xpress will begin at 4:30 p.m. and continues until 12:30 a.m to allow fans to enjoy
the post-game Cole Swindell concert and fireworks. The JTA offers continuous shuttle service during the game to and from the Convention Center Lot only.
Downtown locations ($8 shuttle pass):
Convention Center Lot: 1005 Forsyth Street
Kings Avenue Parking Garage: 1003 Kings Avenue
The Jacksonville Landing: Hogan Street between Water and Bay (shuttle service
only)
Gameday Xpress passes are $8 each and can be purchased in advance online
at www.jtafla.com or via the MyJTA mobile ticketing app.
The complimentary Skyway will have extended hours for the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and
New Year’s Eve festivities.
The Skyway schedule is as follows:
Monday, Dec. 31 (Game Day): 9 a.m. – 2 a.m.*
Tuesday, Jan. 1: Closed

*Please note: Skyway service over the Acosta Bridge will be suspended during the fireworks show on New Year’s Eve. Due to construction of the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla, the Convention Center Skyway Station remains closed.

The St. John’s River Taxi is offering extended hours for the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. The
River Taxi will be available on game day beginning at Noon and will continue until 1:00 a.m.
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Round-trip Stadium Service is available for $10 per person, cash only. Pick up locations include: Jacksonville Landing, Friendship Fountain, Doubletree Hotel, Lexington Hotel, and Metro Park Marina.The river taxi stops every 30-45 minutes at each location. Visit jaxrivertaxi.com for additional information.
Traffic patterns leading into kickoff will remain the same. For anyone traveling to the stadium for the game, please plan ahead and leave extra time for increased traffic downtown prior to kickoff. Traffic patterns will allow inbound traffic throughout the game until post-game when traffic will be pointed outbound.
Uber / Lyft will have a designated pick-up and dropoff location on both the east and west sides of TIAA Bank Field. Request a rideshare from you preferred vendor and then proceed to the designated pick-up areas.
Game Tickets: NC State will play #19 Texas A&M in the 74th Annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31, at TIAA Bank Field. Tickets to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl include the post-game concert and fireworks.Tickets begin at $30 and are available at TaxSlayerGatorBowl.com. Box office opens for new sales as well as will call at 3:30 p.m. on game day. Access to the field for the post-game concert is available for $20 per ticket upgrade and can be bought at taxslayergatorbowl.com/upgrade.
TaxSlayer #SlayMyRefund Sweepstakes: For fans attending the game, TaxSlayer will be running an in-game sweepstakes that will provide one lucky winner with the chance to win $3,169–the average tax return in 2018 based from the IRS. Fans may enter the contest between 4:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. on December 31. Prize will be given away on the field during the New Year’s Eve Celebration; winner must be present to win.
For more information on the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl or ancillary events, visit www.taxslayergatorbowl.com