Raymond James Stadium

Last updated

Raymond James Stadium
"Ray Jay"
"The New Sombrero"
Raymond James Stadium logo.svg
Raymond James Stadium Aerial.jpg
Raymond James Stadium in 2021
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Red pog.svg
Tampa
Location in Florida
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Tampa
Location in the United States
Address4201 North Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, Florida
United States
Coordinates 27°58′33″N82°30′12″W / 27.97583°N 82.50333°W / 27.97583; -82.50333
Owner Hillsborough County
OperatorTampa Sports Authority
Executive suites195
Capacity 69,218 (2022–present) (expandable to 75,000)

Former capacity:

List
    • 65,618 (2016–2021)
    • 65,890 (2013–2015)
    • 65,856 (2008–2012)
    • 65,657 (2001–2007)
    • 66,321 (1998–2000)
Record attendance
SurfaceTifway 419 Bermuda grass
Construction
Broke groundOctober 15, 1996
OpenedSeptember 20, 1998 (1998-09-20)
Construction cost $168.5 million
($315 million in 2023) [1]
ArchitectWagner Murray Architects
Populous (then HOK Sport)
Structural engineer Walter P Moore
Bliss and Nyitray, Inc.
Services engineerME Engineers
FSC-Inc. [2]
General contractorManhattan Construction, Hunt/Metric Joint Venture [3]
Tenants
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL) (1998–present)
South Florida Bulls (NCAA) (1998–present)
Tampa Bay Mutiny (MLS) (1999–2001)
ReliaQuest Bowl (NCAA) (1999–present)
Gasparilla Bowl (NCAA) (2018–present)
Tampa Bay Vipers (XFL) (2020)
Website
raymondjamesstadium.com

Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Tampa, Florida, that opened in 1998 and is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) and the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls college football program. The seating capacity for most sporting events is 69,218, [4] though it can be expanded to about 75,000 for special events with the addition of temporary seating. Raymond James Stadium was built at public expense as a replacement for Tampa Stadium and is known for the replica pirate ship located behind the seating area in the north end zone. [5] Raymond James Financial, a financial service firm headquartered in the Tampa Bay area, has held the naming rights for the stadium for the stadium's entire existence.

Contents

Besides serving as the home field for the Buccaneers and the Bulls, the facility has been the site of three Super Bowls: XXXV in 2001, XLIII in 2009, and LV in 2021, the third in which the Buccaneers became the first team in NFL history both to play and to win a Super Bowl on their home field. In college football, Raymond James Stadium is the home of the annual Tampa Bay Bowl (since 1999) and Gasparilla Bowl (since 2018), hosted the ACC Championship Game in 2008 and 2009, and was the site of the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2017. Additionally, the stadium has hosted a wide variety of non-football events, including soccer matches, equestrian sports competitions, monster truck shows, and large concerts. It was also the site of WrestleMania 37 in April 2021.

History

Financing and construction

Immediately upon purchasing the Buccaneers in 1995, new owner Malcolm Glazer declared that twenty-eight year old Tampa Stadium was inadequate to justify the record $192 million he paid for the NFL franchise and began lobbying local government for a replacement. [6] A few months later, the city of Tampa and Hillsborough County unveiled plans for a $168 million stadium that was to be paid for with a rental car surtax along with fees on items relating to stadium events, such as ticket surcharges and parking fees. However, the Glazer family rejected the plan within hours because it would reduce their revenue, and when local and state government officials did not agree on an alternative taxpayer-financed plan quickly enough for their liking, they threatened to move the Buccaneers elsewhere and were soon meeting with officials from several other cities to explore possible relocation sites. [7] [8] [9]

In early 1996, the city of Tampa and Hillsborough County proposed the establishment of a "Community Investment Tax", a 30-year half-cent sales tax increase that would pay for various public improvements along with a new stadium for the Bucs. The tax increase would have to be approved in a public referendum, which was scheduled for September. [5] The "Community Investment Tax Stadium" (CITS) proposal was heavily promoted by the team along with several prominent local officials, and as part of intensive public relation campaign, Malcolm Glazer repeatedly promised to pay half the cost of the new stadium if fans put down 50,000 deposits on 10–year season ticket commitments priced at $190 to $2500 per seat. [10] [11] Former Tampa mayor Bill Poe sued to halt the referendum, as he claimed that the tax violated the Florida state constitution's ban on public support for private companies. Poe's objections were rejected, and plans for the vote were allowed to proceed. [12]

Public opinion polls indicated that support for the CITS proposal was still limited as election day neared, with the main reasons being a "negative reaction" to the Glazers' tactics and unwillingness to raise taxes to "help" owners who "overpaid" for an NFL team. [13] In response, stadium proponents launched a "media blitz" of television and radio advertisements emphasizing the tax's potential impact on local schools and roads in an attempt to persuade residents who did not want to pay for a football stadium to "hold their nose" and vote yes anyway. [5] On September 3, 1996, the ballot measure passed by a margin of 53% to 47%. [14] After the vote, the season ticket deposit drive fell 17,000 short of its 50,000 goal at the team-imposed deadline, the Buccaneers' offer to pay half of stadium construction costs was withdrawn, and the facility was designed and built entirely at public expense. [11] [15] [10] [16]

Before construction began on the stadium, the Buccaneers and the Tampa Sports Authority signed a lease in which local government paid the vast majority of operating and maintenance expenses while the franchise kept almost all of the proceeds from all events held there. [16] [17] Former Tampa mayor Bill Poe went back to court to challenge the legality of the lease, again citing the state's constitutional ban on using tax dollars to enrich a private business in claiming that the "sweetheart deal" should be voided. [10] A local court ruled in Poe's favor, but upon appeal, the Supreme Court of Florida ruled that the lease was constitutional because the stadium provided a "public benefit", and construction continued as planned. [18] [10] [11] [19]

In 1998, a 13-year deal was agreed with Raymond James Financial, headquartered in St. Petersburg, for naming rights to the stadium. [20] The deal was extended for 10 years in 2006 and again in 2016, and the deal is currently set to expire in 2027. [21] [22]

Opening, further developments

View of Raymond James Stadium with the new Krewe's Nest seating expansion in the south end zone in 2022 RaymondJamesStadium2022.jpg
View of Raymond James Stadium with the new Krewe's Nest seating expansion in the south end zone in 2022

The stadium officially opened on September 20, 1998, [23] when the Buccaneers defeated the Bears, 27–15. [24] The stadium hosted its first Major League Soccer match on March 20, 1999, after the Tampa Bay Mutiny relocated from Houlihan's Stadium; [25] the Mutiny lost their first match at Raymond James 5–2 to D.C. United with 16,872 in attendance. [26] The Mutiny folded after the 2001 season after facing declining revenue due to declining attendance and the Bucs' lease at Raymond James Stadium, which saw the Mutiny receiving no money from parking or concessions. [27] They played their last home match on September 9, 2001, a 2–1 loss to the Columbus Crew. [28] The team had an average attendance of 10,479 per match in their final season at Raymond James Stadium. [29]

In April 2003, the Tampa Sports Authority proposed passing ownership of the stadium to Hillsborough County to avoid having to pay millions of dollars in property taxes (the Bucs' lease agreement dictated that they not have to pay property taxes). However, Bucs had a right of refusal and refused to sign off on the plan unless the local government paid more of the cost for gameday security and increased the amount of (county-purchased) insurance coverage for the stadium. [30] The dispute continued for months until December 2003, when the county legally declared the stadium a condominium and took ownership. As part of the change, the Bucs were given ownership of portions of the structure. To win the Bucs' approval, the county agreed to refund the team's resultant property tax payments annually. [31] [32]

After a nearly two-year legal battle, the Tampa Sports Authority came to a settlement with popular sports-seating and telescopic platform/bleacher company Hussey Seating of North Berwick, Maine. Following the stadium's opening in 1998, roughly 50,000 Hussey-manufactured seats at Raymond James Stadium began to fade from their original color – a bright, vibrant shade of red – to a shade of washed-out pink. Spotting this obvious defect, the Buccaneers organization pleaded to the TSA to sue the seating manufacturing company for the cost to replace the affected chairs in 2003. Initially, in May 2004, after testing samples of the seats, Hussey Seating did not find any cause for the fading, and thus, found no reason to replace the seats at the company's cost under the current 10–year warranty. After the TSA cited a portion of the warranty which did, in fact, state that Hussey would replace seats if any fading were to occur, Hussey president Tim Hussey admitted an error in the research and eventually would come to a $1.5 million agreement with the TSA to replace the problem seats. Reportedly, the seat-fading occurred due to a manufacturing error by Hussey, as a UV inhibitor – a sunscreen-like component for the plastic – was forgotten in the mixture used to create the seats. All of the problem seats were replaced by new, non–pink seats in the spring of 2006.[ citation needed ]

In December 2015, the Buccaneers and the Tampa Sports Authority reached an agreement to complete over $100 million in improvements and renovations to the stadium. The negotiations took months, and were extended by Bucs' lawyers demanding additional concessions after an agreement was near in September 2015. [33] In the end, the upgrades were paid with at least $29 million of public money, with the remainder paid for by the Bucs in exchange for the right to play a home game at another site beginning in the 2018 season and other concessions. Renovations began in January 2016, and the first phase was complete in time for the 2016 football season. [34]

Features

The pirate ship at Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Ship.jpg
The pirate ship at Raymond James Stadium

One of the most recognizable features of the stadium is a 103-foot (31 m), 43-ton steel-and-concrete replica pirate ship in the north end zone, making it stand out from other NFL stadiums. [35] Each time the Buccaneers score points, enter the other team's red zone, or win a home game, the replica cannons on the ship are fired off. The cannons fire once for each point scored, and once for entering the red zone. In addition, when the Buccaneers enter their opponent's red zone, stadium hosts hoist team flags around the perimeter of the upper deck. The cannons are also used during pre-game player introductions. During various times throughout the game, the song "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" is played on the stadium public address system (taken from Pirates of the Caribbean), which signals patrons on board the ship to throw beads, T-shirts, and other free prizes to the people below. The segment is also known as a "Mini Gasparilla" to most fans. An animated parrot sits on the stern of the pirate ship. Controlled by radio and remote control, the parrot picks fans out of the crowd and talks to those passing by. [36] The pirate ship's sails, which for NFL games usually shows Buccaneers logos and sponsors, are often changed to suit the event that it hosts. [35]

The two "Buc Vision" 2,200-square-foot (200 m2) Daktronics video displays were among the largest in the league when they were built. In 2016 they were replaced with 9,600-square-foot (890 m2), HD video boards in both end zones. 'Buccaneer Cove' in the north end zone features a weathered, two–story fishing village facade, housing stadium concessions and restrooms. All areas of the stadium are ADA compliant.

Temporary bleachers were erected in the end zones for Super Bowl XXXV, which set a then-record stadium attendance of 71,921. The stadium attendance record has since been surpassed by the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship, which also made use of temporary seating. [37] Super Bowl XLIII and Super Bowl LV used temporary seating as well.

In 2003, the corner billboards in the stadium were replaced with rotating trilon billboards and these were replaced in 2016 with new high visibility displays.

Raymond James Stadium boasts the second-best turf in the NFL, according to a 2009 biannual players' survey. [38]

In early 2016, the stadium was given an extensive facelift. The most notable improvement was the replacement of the 2,200-square-foot (200 m2) video displays with state of the art, high visibility 9,600-square-foot (890 m2) video displays in both the north and south end zones along with the addition of a new 2,300-square-foot (210 m2) video tower in each corner. All together, the video displays cover more than 28,000-square-foot (2,600 m2), the third-largest video displays in the NFL. The original sound system and the stadium's luxury boxes were also upgraded. [39]

Before the 2022 season, some of the temporary seats used for Super Bowls and other special events were set up in the south end zone, bringing the capacity to 69,218. [40] They were removed after the season, following Tom Brady’s retirement.

RJSPAN.jpg
Panoramic view of Raymond James Stadium from the pirate ship (2009).

Naming

During construction, the facility was known as Tampa Community Stadium. In June 1998, prior to its opening, the naming rights were bought by St. Petersburg-based Raymond James Financial for $32.5 million in a 13–year agreement. [41] Contract extensions signed in 2006 and 2016 have extended the naming rights deal through 2028. [42]

The stadium is referred to as "Ray Jay". Somewhat derisively, it has been occasionally referred to as "the CITS", a name coined by long-time local sportscaster Chris Thomas which stands for "Community Investment Tax Stadium", referring to the fact that the stadium was entirely financed by local taxpayers. [43]

Notable events

Overhead view of Raymond James Stadium during the lead-up to Super Bowl LV. Raymond James Stadium (50898195996).jpg
Overhead view of Raymond James Stadium during the lead-up to Super Bowl LV.

American Football

Super Bowl

Raymond James Stadium has hosted the Super Bowl three times: Super Bowl XXXV in 2001, Super Bowl XLIII in 2009, and Super Bowl LV in 2021. In Super Bowl LV, the Buccaneers became the first team in NFL history to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium, which they won 31–9. [44] Like previous Super Bowls, the league treated Super Bowl LV as a neutral site game, with the pirate ship's Buccaneer-logo sails replaced with Super Bowl sails. [35] The league also did not allow the Buccaneers to fire the ship's cannons during the game. The cannons are normally fired after every score by the Buccaneers and when their offense enters the red zone. The cannons were only fired during player introductions and were fired 31 times after the end of the game to represent the Buccaneers' 31 points. [45] The Buccaneers were coincidentally the designated home team for Super Bowl LV, as the home team alternates between the two conferences annually. [46]

SeasonGameDateWinning teamScoreLosing teamScoreAttendance
2000 Super Bowl XXXV January 28, 2001 Baltimore Ravens 34 New York Giants 771,921
2008 Super Bowl XLIII February 1, 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers 27 Arizona Cardinals 2370,774
2020 Super Bowl LV February 7, 2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31 Kansas City Chiefs 924,835 [lower-alpha 1]
  1. ↑ Played with limited capacity due to COVID-19

NFL playoffs

The Buccaneers have hosted eight playoff games at Raymond James Stadium.

SeasonGameDateWinning teamScoreLosing teamScoreAttendance
1999 NFC Divisional January 15, 20002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 143 Washington Redskins 1365,835
2002 NFC Divisional January 12, 20032 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 314 San Francisco 49ers 665,599
2005 NFC Wild Card January 7, 20066 Washington Redskins 173 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1065,514
2007 NFC Wild Card January 6, 20085 New York Giants 244 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1465,621
2021 NFC Wild Card January 16, 20222 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 317 Philadelphia Eagles 1565,077
2021 NFC Divisional January 23, 20224 Los Angeles Rams 302 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2765,597
2022 NFC Wild Card January 16, 20235 Dallas Cowboys 314 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1469,145
2023 NFC Wild Card January 15, 20244 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 325 Philadelphia Eagles 963,397

Tampa Bay Buccaneers regular season games

The three highest-attended Buccaneers regular season home games at Raymond James Stadium are as follows. [47] [48] For the 2022 season, temporary bleachers were erected in the south endzone. The "Krewe's Nest" raised the stadium's capacity by approximately 3,600 additional seats. [49] The largest crowd prior to the temporary seating occurred on October 22, 2006 against Philadelphia (65,808). [50] After the temporary seating was removed for 2023, the largest crowd has been 65,854 against Detroit on October 15, 2023. [51]

RankSeasonGameDateWinning teamScoreLosing teamScoreAttendance
1 2022 Week 15December 18, 2022 Cincinnati Bengals 34 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2369,305
2 2022 Week 17January 1, 2023 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30 Carolina Panthers 2469,298
3 2022 Week 3September 26, 2022 Green Bay Packers 14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1269,197
Games without temporary endzone seating
1 2023 Week 6October 15, 2023 Detroit Lions 20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 665,854
2 2006 Week 7October 22, 2006 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23 Philadelphia Eagles 2165,808
3 2021 Week 15 (SNF)December 19, 2021 New Orleans Saints 9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 065,744

USF games

The three highest-attended South Florida Bulls home games at Raymond James Stadium are as follows: [52]

RankSeasonDateWinning teamScoreLosing teamScoreAttendance
1 2012 September 29, 20124 Florida State Seminoles 30 South Florida Bulls 1769,383
2 2007 September 28, 200718 South Florida Bulls 215 West Virginia Mountaineers 1367,012
3 2009 November 28, 200919 Miami Hurricanes 31 South Florida Bulls 1066,469

College Football Playoff

In 2017, Raymond James Stadium hosted the College Football Playoff National Championship, where the Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in a rematch of the 2016 championship. With an attendance of 74,512, it was the largest crowd for a football game in stadium history. [53] [54]

SeasonGameDateWinning teamScoreLosing teamScoreAttendance
2016 College Football Playoff National Championship January 9, 20172 Clemson Tigers 351 Alabama Crimson Tide 3174,512

Bowl games

The three highest-attended college football bowl games that took place at Raymond James Stadium are as follows:

RankSeasonGameDateWinning teamScoreLosing teamScoreAttendance
1 2001 Outback Bowl January 1, 2002 14 South Carolina Gamecocks 3122 Ohio State Buckeyes 2866,249
2 1998 Outback Bowl January 1, 1999 22 Penn State Nittany Lions 26 Kentucky Wildcats 1466,005
3 2005 Outback Bowl January 2, 2006 16 Florida Gators 3125 Iowa Hawkeyes 2465,881

Soccer

The stadium was home to the former Tampa Bay Mutiny of Major League Soccer and continues to periodically host other soccer matches due to its accommodating field dimensions.

On June 8, 2012, it hosted the United States men's national soccer team's opening qualifying match against Antigua and Barbuda for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which the United States won 3–1. [55] On October 11, 2018, the Colombia men's national soccer team played against the United States men's national soccer team and won 4–2 to set the current attendance record of 38,361 for a soccer match at this stadium. [56]

The stadium hosted a 2021 CONCACAF Champions League match between Toronto FC and Cruz Azul. [57]

Men's international matches

DateWinning TeamResultLosing TeamTournamentSpectators
March 25, 2007Flag of the United States.svg  United States 3–1Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador Friendly31,547
February 24, 2010Flag of the United States.svg  United States 2–1Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador Friendly21,737
June 11, 2011Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 1–0Flag of Guadeloupe (local).svg  Guadeloupe 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup 27,731
Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 2–1Flag of the United States.svg  United States
June 8, 2012Flag of the United States.svg  United States 3–1Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Antigua and Barbuda 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 23,971
June 2, 2014Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 3–1Flag of Costa Rica.svg  Costa Rica Friendly7,106
June 6, 2014Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 4–3Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia Friendly7,275
July 12, 2017Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 2–1Flag of Nicaragua.svg  Nicaragua 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup 23,368
Flag of the United States.svg  United States 3–2Snake Flag of Martinique.svg  Martinique
October 11, 2018Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 4–2Flag of the United States.svg  United States Friendly38,631
September 10, 2019Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 0–0Flag of Venezuela (state).svg  Venezuela Friendly16,590

Women's international matches

DateWinning TeamResultLosing TeamTournamentSpectators
November 8, 2008Flag of the United States.svg  United States 1–0Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea Friendly4,263
June 14, 2014Flag of the United States.svg  United States 1–0Flag of France.svg  France Friendly9,799
March 3, 2016Flag of the United States.svg  United States 1–0Flag of England.svg  England 2016 SheBelieves Cup 13,027
March 5, 2019Flag of the United States.svg  United States 1–0Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 2019 SheBelieves Cup 14,009

Professional wrestling

WWE planned to host WrestleMania 36—the 2020 edition of its flagship professional wrestling pay-per-view—at Raymond James Stadium on April 5. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WWE subsequently filmed it at its training facility in Orlando instead, behind closed doors with no audience and only essential staff present. [58] [59] In January 2021, WWE announced that WrestleMania 37 (which was originally announced as being hosted by SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California) would be hosted by Raymond James Stadium on April 10 and 11, 2021. The event had a reported attendance of 25,675 each night, a combined total of 51,350 spectators on both nights, a sellout reported by the company. The show marked the first time in over a year the company had hosted a show with fans in live attendance, since March 11, 2020. [60]

Concerts

Raymond James Stadium has hosted several large scale concerts, with the largest attendance (72,000) coming at a show by U2 in 2009. [61] The annual Sunset Music Festival is also hosted at the stadium. [62] Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour is the first act in stadium history to sell out two and three shows on a single tour. [63] [64]

See also

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The 2020 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 45th in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under head coach Bruce Arians. The club acquired long-time New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in free agency, and traded for Brady's former Patriots teammate, tight end Rob Gronkowski during the offseason. They improved on their 7–9 record from the previous season by finishing 11–5 to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2007 – though 10 of their 11 wins were against non-playoff teams. They advanced through the playoffs to reach and win Super Bowl LV. They were the first team only having one Pro Bowler to do so since the 2007 Giants, and the first team to play in and win the Super Bowl in their home stadium, Raymond James Stadium. They were the 7th wild card team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl, as well as the fifth team to win three road games to advance to the Super Bowl, joining the 2010 Green Bay Packers, 2007 New York Giants, 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, and 1985 New England Patriots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season</span> 46th season in franchise history

The 2021 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 46th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their third and final season under head coach Bruce Arians. They entered the season as defending Super Bowl champions and were attempting to become the first club to win consecutive Super Bowls since the team's quarterback Tom Brady did so with New England in XXXVIII and XXXIX. They entered the season riding a franchise record eight consecutive wins, which they extended to ten wins until they lost against the Rams. After their Week 16 win over Carolina, the Buccaneers clinched the NFC South division for the first time since 2007. Tampa Bay won a franchise record 13 games in the regular season. In Week 18, they secured the #2 seed in the NFC playoffs, then defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 31–15 in the Wild Card Round, notching postseason wins in consecutive seasons for the first time. However, their title defense came to an end with a 30–27 last-second loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.

The University of South Florida athletic facilities are the stadiums and arenas the South Florida Bulls use for their home games and training. The University of South Florida currently sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and has 11 facilities in the designated Athletics District on or adjacent to its Tampa campus, one on its St. Petersburg campus, and one elsewhere in Tampa. 18 of the 19 teams have some sort of facility in the USF Athletics District.

References

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  2. ↑ "Sports Facilities - FSC-Inc" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 4, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Raymond James Stadium". Ballparks.com.
  4. ↑ "Krewe's Nest End Zone Seating, Fifth Third Bank Gate Fast Lane and Upgraded Food Options Highlight New Offerings at Raymond James Stadium for 2022 Season". www.buccaneers.com. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Corder, David (September 7, 1998). "Political plays scored a new stadium". Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Bucs Stay in Tampa With a Big Price Tag". Milwaukee Journal . January 17, 1995. Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
  7. ↑ Williams, Chareen (December 7, 1995). "Tampa Still Hopeful Bucs Will Stay Put". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Buccaneers reportedly discuss move to Cleveland". UPI. January 17, 1996. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Professional sports franchise relocation : Antitrust implications". United States Congress Committee of the Judiciary, House of Representatives. One Hundredth Fourth Congress. United States General Printing Office. 1996.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Testerman, Jeff (August 31, 2005). "Stadium tax helped pay for Bucs' success". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 Harry, Chris (July 24, 2005). "Fantastic Voyage". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  12. ↑ Martin, John (August 31, 2005). "The Bucs, the stadium and the tax". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  13. ↑ Williams, Charean (September 3, 1996). "TAX VOTE COULD SEND BUCS PACKING". Orlando Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  14. ↑ Washington, Wayne (September 18, 1998). "Stadium Rose Despite Challenges". St. Petersburg Times . Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  15. ↑ Henderson, Joe (September 28, 1995). "Chipping In: Malcolm Glazer Says He'll Pay "About Half" the Cost of a New Stadium As a Seat-Deposit Plan Is Unveiled". The Tampa Tribune . Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  16. 1 2 Testerman, Jeff (January 25, 2001). "Super Bowl 2001: We Paid for It; It Paid Off". St. Petersburg Times . Retrieved July 28, 2012.
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  18. ↑ Canning, Michael (September 29, 2001). "Former Mayor's Opinion of Stadium Hasn't Changed". St. Petersburg Times . Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  19. ↑ "WILLIAM F. POE, SR. v. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, CITY OF TAMPA, FLORIDA, and TAMPA SPORTS AUTHORITY" (PDF). Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough County, Florida. Retrieved February 21, 2021.[ permanent dead link ]
  20. ↑ "Bucs' New Stadium Gets A Name". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  21. ↑ "The Name Remains: It's Raymond James Stadium". www.buccaneers.com. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Raymond James extend stadium naming-rights agreement to 2027". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Stadium History – Raymond James Stadium". Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  24. ↑ Lowitt, Bruce (September 21, 1998). "Home at last, Bucs lower boom". St. Petersburg Times . p. 1A. Retrieved May 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ Ward, Bill (October 14, 1998). "Extras at RJS add to Mutiny prices". The Tampa Tribune. p. 5. Retrieved May 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ Page, Rodney (March 21, 1999). "Against United they fall: Mutiny players outclassed". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1C. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  27. ↑ Cronan, Carl (January 8, 2002). "Mutiny ceases operations". Tampa Bay Business Journal . Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  28. ↑ Page, Rodney (January 9, 2002). "Players, staff trying to plot the next move". St. Petersburg Times. p. 6C. Retrieved May 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ Wine, Steven (January 9, 2002). "MLS folds the Mutiny and Fusion". The Bradenton Herald . Associated Press. p. 3D. Retrieved May 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ Varian, Bill (April 18, 2003). "Tampabay: Tax Bill Swells as Bucs Stall". St. Petersburg Times . Retrieved February 14, 2009.
  31. ↑ Varian, Bill (March 6, 2003). "Hillsborough: Hillsborough Votes Yes on Plan to Own Stadium". St. Petersburg Times . Retrieved February 14, 2009.
  32. ↑ Varian, Bill (December 18, 2003). "Hillsborough: County Act Ends Tax on Stadium". St. Petersburg Times . Retrieved February 14, 2009.
  33. ↑ Contorno, Steve (October 1, 2015). "How the Raymond James Stadium negotiations between the Buccaneers and the Tampa Sports Authority broke down". Tampa Tribune / tbo.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  34. ↑ Pransky, Noah (December 3, 2015). "Bucs strike deal with county on stadium renovations". USA Today / WTSP. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  35. 1 2 3 "The Star of Super Bowl LV Will be the Buccaneers' Massive Pirate Ship". February 4, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Raymond James Stadium | Stadium Facts". Raymondjames.com. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
  37. ↑ "College Football National Championship Seating Chart 2017" . Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  38. ↑ "Top Turf in the NFL? Cards Best, Steelers Worst". ESPN.com. January 29, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  39. ↑ "Raymond James Stadium gets $140M Makeover". ESPN.com. August 28, 2016.
  40. ↑ "Krewe's Nest End Zone Seating, Fifth Third Bank Gate Fast Lane and Upgraded Food Options Highlight New Offerings at Raymond James Stadium for 2022 Season". www.buccaneers.com. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  41. ↑ "Bucs' New Stadium Gets A Name, New name is 'The Raymond James Stadium'". CBS News. December 13, 1999. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
  42. ↑ "Raymond James Stadium Naming Rights Through 2028". buccaneers.com. August 28, 2016.
  43. ↑ Deggans, Eric (February 20, 2004). "Chris Thomas Touched Us All". St. Petersburg Times . Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  44. ↑ "Buccaneers became the first team to play in Super Bowl at home stadium". NFL.com. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  45. ↑ Werner, Barry (February 2, 2021). "Super Bowl 55 will not feature the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' signature cannons at Raymond James Stadium". USA Today. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  46. ↑ Warner, Ralph (January 16, 2018). "Vikings would be the "away" team in Super Bowl LII". National Football League. Retrieved January 24, 2018. The AFC and NFC alternate between who is the home team and away team each year, regardless of the stadium they play in.
  47. ↑ "Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 Media Guide". p. 412. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  48. ↑ "Gamebook-New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12/19/2021" (PDF). p. 2. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  49. ↑ "Buccaneers add more end zone seating in 'Krewe's Nest'". WFLA. June 21, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  50. ↑ "National Football League Game Summary - Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2006" (PDF). Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  51. ↑ "National Football League Game Summary - Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2023" (PDF). Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  52. ↑ "2020 USF FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE (PDF)" (PDF). USF Athletics. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  53. ↑ "College Football Playoff: Deshaun Watson, Clemson get revenge in rematch with Alabama". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  54. ↑ Johnson, Richard (January 1, 2017). "Bama-Clemson is college football's first-ever true title rematch". SBNation.com. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  55. ↑ Godfrey, John (June 9, 2012). "A World Cup Qualifying Victory Lacks Quality for the U.S". The New York Times.
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  61. ↑ O'Reilly, Sean (January 9, 2017). "U2 to play Tampa's Raymond James Stadium on June 14th on 'The Joshua Tree 2017' summer tour".
  62. ↑ "About SMF". Raymond James Stadium. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  63. ↑ "Taylor Swift adds a third Tampa show to 'Eras' tour". November 11, 2022. Archived from the original on November 18, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  64. ↑ "Raymond James Stadium Concert History". January 5, 2023. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
Events and tenants
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1998 – present		Succeeded by
current
Preceded by Home of the
College Football Playoff National Championship
2017		Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of the
ACC Championship Game
2008–2009		Succeeded by
Preceded by Home of the
Tampa Bay Mutiny
1999–2001		Succeeded by
last stadium
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XXXV 2001
XLIII 2009
LV 2021		Succeeded by
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first stadium
 Home of the
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