The Jacksonville Jaguars ranked 15th out of 122 teams in a recent annual study of sports team brands conducted by Turnkey Sports & Entertainment, and sixth among teams in the National Football League. All 122 teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB were graded by fans in their home market for various attributes, and then were assigned values to create the results of the 2008 Turnkey Team Brand Index (TTBI).

"The Jaguars jumped 21 spots from 2007 to 2008," said Len Perna, President and CEO of Turnkey. "The brand is solid and the organization is perceived as moving in the right direction."

A total of 21 distinct metrics and 36 brand attributes were incorporated and measured for all 122 teams, including perceptions of team popularity, fan loyalty, and sponsor loyalty. "The Jaguars ranked fourth in the NFL and ninth of all 122 teams for their sponsorship effort," Perna added.

"I think the fans were outstanding all year, and I feel like that's a legitimate statement," head coach Jack Del Rio said following the team's home finale. "They were here through the good and the bad. They were in every ballgame for us. We had a bunch of close games here, not all went our way, but our fans were there. I can assure you our team appreciates that. We want more than anything to deliver to our fans, but there is no question they showed up in numbers for us and were very supportive the entire time, and I applaud that. We've got to have that, to count on it, and certainly we appreciate it."

Among the factors teams were rated for were how fans perceive entertainment value, whether they like the players, perceptions of ownership, and commitment to winning. The 36 brand attributes incorporated into the study included such attributes as respected, spirited, inspirational and visionary.

The TTBI results were gathered from a scientific survey of 12,000 sports fans in 47 U.S. and Canadian markets. The Green Bay Packers finished first in this year's study, up from 10th last year. The Pittsburgh Steelers, last year's top finisher, ranked third this year. The table of contents of the study is available at www.turnkeyse.com The measurement factors used in the study are attached.

JAGUARS BRAND RANKED 15TH IN TURNKEY TEAM BRAND INDEX

Turnkey Team Brand Index (TTBI) factors of team popularity:

Overall impression of the team

Fan perception of how entertaining it is to attend games

Fan perceptions of how entertaining it is to watch games on TV

Likelihood of fans to encourage others to watch or attend games

Fan perceptions that the team has a strong nationwide fan base

Fan perceptions that the team has a strong local fan base

Degree to which fans consider themselves proud fans of the team

Degree to which fans consider the team roster to be comprised of likeable players

Degree to which fans consider the organization to be committed to winning

Degree to which fans consider the organization to have a tradition of winning

Degree to which fans consider the organization to be dedicated to giving back to the community

Degree to which fans consider the organization's appreciation of its fans to be genuine

Degree to which fans consider the organization to be moving In a positive direction

Degree to which fans consider the organization to be well-managed

Turnkey Team Brand Index (TTBI) factors of fan loyalty:

Degree to which following the team is an important part of fans' daily routine

Degree to which fans would watch the team regardless of opponent

Degree to which fans would support the team regardless of its record

Degree to which it would be difficult to switch allegiances to another team

Degree fans are committed to the team

Degree to which fans refer to the team as "we" rather than "they"

An overall grade by fans given to the team's ownership

Brand attributes tested:

Affordable, aggressive, arrogant, authentic, bold, charismatic, classy, competitive, consistent, diverse, efficient, exciting, family-oriented, fast, fun, hard-working, innovative, inspirational, intelligent, leader, passionate, powerful, premium, professional, profit-maximizing, reliable, resilient, respected, service-oriented, spirited, strong, successful, tough, traditional, trustworthy, visionary

Sponsor Loyalty Index (SLI) factors:

Degree to which fans' opinion of team sponsors is improved because of their partnership with team

Degree to which fans consider team sponsors to be industry leaders

Degree to which fans consider sponsor products to be of high quality

Degree to which fans consider trying the team's sponsors' products

Degree to which fans would prefer sponsor products, assuming comparable price and quality