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BACK TO THE MINORS: Armada means business, announces new stadium plan

Back to the Minors is our weekly look at Jacksonville's AWESOME minor league sports teams. This week, a big announcement from the Jacksonville Armada about stadium plans and info about single game tickets for the Jumbo Shrimp.

Jacksonville Armada owner Robert Palmer is hoping the city's business community will get behind his soccer team in a big way. The team kicked off the 2018 "Armada Business Alliance" at an event at Palmer's RP Funding company office on Jacksonville's Southside Wednesday.

"We don't just want to be great on the field. We don't just want to be great at our sport....We want to be a part of this community, we want to be a part of the business fabric." Palmer told the group of about 200 business leaders who came to the event.

The program provides tickets, networking opportunities and other benefits, including business advice from Palmer and his companies. To learn more about the Armada Business Alliance, click here.

Palmer also used the Business Alliance kickoff event to announce the team's plans to build a new stadium somewhere in the Jacksonville area. While not providing many specifics, Palmer said they have both a stadium design and financing ready to go, once they find the right site. The team is looking for a flat piece of land big enough to accommodate a stadium and potentially an office building to house Palmer's companies Jacksonville headquarters.

"I want to work with the community now. I am ready to step up to the plate. I am ready to write the check to build this stadium." Palmer said.

The stadium will be named HomeValue.com Stadium, after one of Palmer's real estate companies.

The Armada kicks of play in the National Premiere Soccer League's Sunshine Conference on April 29 at Hodges Stadium against Miami FC. Season tickets start at $60 and are available at jacksonvillearmada.com.

News and Notes:

  • Its a huge weekend for the Jacksonville Icemen as the team tries to gain ground in the race for an ECHL playoff spot. The Icemen host the Florida Everblades both Friday and Saturday night at Veterans Memorial Arena before a Sunday road trip to South Carolina. Before Saturday's game, you can partake in the JaxEats food festival at the arena. Food festival tickets start at $35 and include a ticket to the Saturday night game.
  • Single game tickets for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp's 2018 season will go on sale Tuesday March 13, including for the team's home opener on April 11. More information on Jumbo Shrimp tickets can be found at jaxshrimp.com.
  • The Jacksonville Giants finished the American Basketball Association Regular Season 19-1 and on top of the league's power rankings. The Giants defeated the South Florida Gold 129-106 at Veterans Memorial Arena last Saturday night. The team will next compete on April 4 at the ABA's Championship tournament in Austin, Texas.

Back to the Minors author Neal Bennett is the former digital director at First Coast News. He now works for the station's corporate parent TEGNA Media. He attends dozens of Jacksonville's minor league sporting events and is an avid fan.

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