Raymond James Stadium

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

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 of 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 ReliaQuest 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.

In Their Own Story

The Florida sun beat down on the new stadium on September 20, 1998, as the Buccaneers took the field for the first time at Raymond James Stadium. The crowd of 69,218 watched the home team defeat the Bears 27-15. The cannons on the pirate ship boomed for the first time, echoing off the concrete and steel. Fans below caught beads and T-shirts thrown from the ship's deck. The parrot squawked and pointed. In that moment, a new tradition was born—a maritime fortress on the Gulf Coast where the Buccaneers would forge their identity. Twenty-three years later, on February 7, 2021, those same cannons fired as the Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV on their home turf, a feat no other NFL team had ever accomplished.

Reader's Guide

The stadium officially opened on September 20, 1998, when the Buccaneers defeated the Bears, 27–15. The stadium hosted its first Major League Soccer match on March 20, 1999, after the Tampa Bay Mutiny relocated from Houlihan's Stadium; the Mutiny lost their first match at Raymond James 5–2 to D.C. United with 16,872 in attendance. The Mutiny folded after the 2001 season. In 1998, a 13-year deal was agreed with Raymond James Financial for naming rights. The deal was extended for 10 years in 2006 and again in 2016, and the deal is currently set to expire in 2027.

Did You Know?

• The stadium was built at public expense after a 1996 referendum passed 53% to 47%.
• The replica pirate ship is located behind the seating area in the north end zone.
• The Buccaneers became the first team in NFL history to both play and win a Super Bowl on their home field (Super Bowl LV in 2021).
• The stadium's seats faded to pink due to a manufacturing error by Hussey Seating; all problem seats were replaced by spring 2006.

Origins and Controversial Financing

After purchasing the Buccaneers in 1995, Malcolm Glazer declared 28-year-old Tampa Stadium inadequate and began lobbying for a replacement. The city and county unveiled a $168 million plan paid for by rental car surtaxes and event fees, but the Glazers rejected it within hours. They threatened to move the team and met with officials from other cities. In early 1996, a 'Community Investment Tax'—a 30-year half-cent sales tax increase—was proposed for public improvements and a new stadium. The tax required a public referendum scheduled for September. The team promoted the plan heavily, and Glazer promised to pay half the cost if fans put down 50,000 deposits on 10-year season tickets priced $190 to $2,500. Former mayor Bill Poe sued to halt the referendum, claiming the tax violated Florida's constitutional ban on public support for private companies. His objections were rejected. Polls showed limited support due to negative reactions to the Glazers' tactics. Stadium proponents launched a media blitz emphasizing the tax's impact on schools and roads. On September 3, 1996, the measure passed 53% to 47%. The season ticket deposit drive fell 17,000 short of the 50,000 goal, Glazer's offer to pay half was withdrawn, and the stadium was built entirely at public expense. The lease had the government paying most operating costs while the team kept almost all event proceeds. Poe challenged the lease in court; a local court ruled in his favor, but the Florida Supreme Court ruled the lease constitutional because the stadium provided a 'public benefit.'

Architectural Identity and Capacity

The stadium opened September 20, 1998, with a seating capacity of 69,218 for most sporting events, expandable to about 75,000 with temporary seating. Its defining feature is the 103-foot, 43-ton steel-and-concrete replica pirate ship in the north end zone. The cannons fire for each point scored, when the team enters the red zone, and during pre-game introductions. The song 'Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)' plays over the PA system, and patrons on the ship throw beads, T-shirts, and prizes. An animated parrot on the stern, controlled by radio and remote, picks out fans and talks to them. The naming rights have been held by Raymond James Financial since 1998, extended for 10 years in 2006 and again in 2016, currently set to expire in 2027. In 2006, roughly 50,000 seats that had faded from red to pink were replaced after a $1.5 million settlement with manufacturer Hussey Seating, due to a missing UV inhibitor in the plastic mixture.

Historic Football Milestones

Raymond James Stadium has hosted three Super Bowls: XXXV in 2001, XLIII in 2009, and LV in 2021. At Super Bowl LV, the Buccaneers became the first team in NFL history to both play and win a Super Bowl on their home field. The stadium has hosted the annual ReliaQuest Bowl since 1999 and the Gasparilla Bowl since 2018. It hosted the ACC Championship Game in 2008 and 2009, and the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2017.

Diverse Event Portfolio

The stadium hosted its first Major League Soccer match on March 20, 1999, when the Tampa Bay Mutiny lost 5-2 to D.C. United with 16,872 in attendance. The Mutiny folded after the 2001 season due to declining revenue and a lease that gave them no money from parking or concessions. Their last home match was September 9, 2001, a 2-1 loss to the Columbus Crew, with an average attendance of 10,479 that final season. The stadium has also hosted equestrian sports competitions, monster truck shows, large concerts, and WrestleMania 37 in April 2021.