JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The City of Jacksonville has decided to cut back on costs for events that are usually held every year.
For the past two years Bethune-Cookman University, a historically Black university in Daytona Beach, has played their game at EverBank Stadium.
Due to budget restraints, the city is cutting back spending on certain events, meaning the game will not be happening this year.
This isn't the only annual event that got axed.
“This year as we have evaluated all our options, we looked at it and some challenging issues with our budget this year, that it made more sense to look into long-term what we could do with an HBCU game next year, or the year after to make sure it was the best opportunity for the city," said Alex Alston, executive director of Sports and Entertainment for the City of Jacksonville.
The city also won't be hosting the Blue Angels for the annual Sea & Sky Air Show in 2025 after the group opted to go to another city during the event's desired date.
Jax River Jams is also on the chopping block. Alston said with ongoing renovations happening downtown and costs going up, there is not enough space to host the event.
The city has saved $500,000 by cutting funding for these events, but some people will likely not be too happy.
“I’m sure they will be very disappointed," said Jessica Perez when asked how residents would feel about the changes. "It is something they look forward to, sometimes it’s like a big family event, people come from out of town to enjoy it, so I am sure they will be disappointed."
Alston emphasized that the city is not looking to get rid of these events forever, but that prices are continuing to go up so they had to reevaluate.