History of Raymond James Stadium in Timeline

Raymond James Stadium, located in Tampa, Florida, opened in 1998 and serves as the home field for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL) and the USF Bulls (college football). Its typical seating capacity is 69,218, expandable to roughly 75,000. Built as a replacement for Tampa Stadium with public funding, it's known for the prominent pirate ship replica in the north end zone. Raymond James Financial has held the naming rights since its opening.

1995: Malcolm Glazer Purchases the Buccaneers

In 1995, Malcolm Glazer purchased the Buccaneers and declared Tampa Stadium inadequate, lobbying for a replacement.

September 3, 1996: Community Investment Tax Approval

On September 3, 1996, the "Community Investment Tax" ballot measure passed with 53% of the vote, despite limited public support and controversy.

1996: Community Investment Tax Proposal

In 1996, the city of Tampa and Hillsborough County proposed a "Community Investment Tax" to fund public improvements and a new stadium for the Buccaneers. The proposal faced legal challenges and required a public referendum.

June 1998: Naming Rights Acquired by Raymond James Financial

In June 1998, Raymond James Financial bought the naming rights for Tampa Community Stadium, renaming it Raymond James Stadium.

September 20, 1998: Stadium Official Opening

On September 20, 1998, Raymond James Stadium officially opened with a Buccaneers victory over the Bears.

1998: Hussey Seating Installation

In 1998, Hussey Seating installed roughly 50,000 seats at Raymond James Stadium.

1998: Naming Rights Deal with Raymond James Financial

In 1998, Raymond James Financial secured naming rights for the stadium.

1998: Stadium Opening

In 1998, Raymond James Stadium opened as the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the USF Bulls, replacing Tampa Stadium.

March 20, 1999: First Major League Soccer Match

On March 20, 1999, Raymond James Stadium hosted its first Major League Soccer match, with the Tampa Bay Mutiny losing to D.C. United.

1999: ReliaQuest Bowl Inauguration

Since 1999, Raymond James Stadium became the home of ReliaQuest Bowl.

September 9, 2001: Tampa Bay Mutiny Last Home Match

On September 9, 2001, the Tampa Bay Mutiny played their last home match at Raymond James Stadium, losing to the Columbus Crew.

2001: Raymond James Stadium hosted Super Bowl XXXV

In 2001, Raymond James Stadium hosted Super Bowl XXXV.

2001: Super Bowl XXXV

In 2001, Raymond James Stadium hosted Super Bowl XXXV.

April 2003: Ownership Transfer Proposal

In April 2003, the Tampa Sports Authority proposed transferring stadium ownership to Hillsborough County to avoid property taxes.

December 2003: Stadium Ownership Declared as Condominium

In December 2003, Hillsborough County legally declared the stadium a condominium and took ownership, granting the Buccaneers ownership of parts of the structure in return for property tax refunds.

2003: Lawsuit for Seat Fading

In 2003, The Buccaneers organization pleaded to the TSA to sue Hussey Seating for the cost to replace the affected seats due to obvious color fading.

2003: Trilon Billboard Replacement

In 2003, the corner billboards in the stadium were replaced with rotating trilon billboards.

May 2004: Initial Refusal for Seat Replacement

In May 2004, Hussey Seating initially did not find any cause for the fading after testing samples of the seats, and thus, found no reason to replace the seats.

October 22, 2006: Game against Philadelphia

On October 22, 2006, the Raymond James Stadium had the largest crowd prior to the temporary seating which occurred during a game against Philadelphia (65,808).

2006: Naming Rights Deal Extension

In 2006, the naming rights deal with Raymond James Financial was extended.

2006: Raymond James Naming Rights Deal Extended

In 2006, the naming rights deal with Raymond James Financial was extended.

2006: Hussey Seating Seats Replaced

In the spring of 2006, all of the problem seats from Hussey Seating were replaced by new, non-pink seats after an agreement was reached.

2008: ACC Championship Game

In 2008, Raymond James Stadium hosted the ACC Championship Game.

2009: Second-Best Turf in NFL

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

2009: Raymond James Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLIII

In 2009, Raymond James Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLIII.

2009: Super Bowl XLIII

In 2009, Raymond James Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLIII.

June 8, 2012: United States vs Antigua and Barbuda FIFA World Cup Qualifying Match

On June 8, 2012, Raymond James Stadium hosted the United States men's national soccer team's opening qualifying match against Antigua and Barbuda for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The United States won the match 3–1.

September 2015: Extended Negotiations for Stadium Improvements

In September 2015, negotiations for stadium improvements were extended due to additional demands from the Buccaneers' lawyers.

December 2015: Agreement for Stadium Improvements

In December 2015, the Buccaneers and the Tampa Sports Authority agreed to over $100 million in improvements and renovations to the stadium.

January 2016: Renovations Begin

In January 2016, renovations to Raymond James Stadium began, with the first phase completed in time for the 2016 football season.

2016: Beyonce's The Formation World Tour

In 2016, Beyonce performed at Raymond James Stadium as part of her The Formation World Tour.

2016: Contract Extensions Signed

In 2016, another contract extension was signed extending the naming rights deal through 2028.

2016: Raymond James Naming Rights Deal Extended Again

In 2016, the naming rights deal with Raymond James Financial was extended again.

2016: Video Display Replacement of Trilon Billboards

In 2016, the rotating trilon billboards were replaced with high visibility video displays.

2016: Video Displays Replacement

In 2016, the two "Buc Vision" 2,200-square-foot Daktronics video displays were replaced with 9,600-square-foot, HD video boards in both end zones.

2016: Extensive Facelift for Stadium

In early 2016, Raymond James Stadium received an extensive facelift, with notable improvements including the replacement of video displays and upgrades to the sound system and luxury boxes.

2017: College Football Playoff National Championship

In 2017, Raymond James Stadium hosted the College Football Playoff National Championship, where the Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game had an attendance of 74,512, the largest crowd for a football game in the stadium's history.

2017: College Football Playoff National Championship Attendance Record

In 2017, temporary seating was used to help the College Football Playoff National Championship break the stadium attendance record

October 11, 2018: Colombia vs United States Men's National Soccer Team Match

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 at Raymond James Stadium. The match set the current attendance record of 38,361 for a soccer match at the stadium.

2018: Home Game at Alternate Site

Beginning in the 2018 season, the Buccaneers gained the right to play a home game at another site as part of the renovation agreement.

2018: Gasparilla Bowl Inauguration

Since 2018, Raymond James Stadium became the home of Gasparilla Bowl.

March 11, 2020: WWE WrestleMania 36 Relocation

On March 11, 2020, WWE was forced to relocate WrestleMania 36 from Raymond James Stadium to its training facility in Orlando, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was filmed behind closed doors with no audience and only essential staff present.

January 2021: WWE Announces WrestleMania 37 at Raymond James Stadium

In January 2021, WWE announced that Raymond James Stadium would host WrestleMania 37 on April 10 and 11, 2021. WrestleMania 37 was originally announced as being hosted by SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

April 2021: WrestleMania 37

In April 2021, Raymond James Stadium hosted WrestleMania 37.

2021: Raymond James Stadium hosted Super Bowl LV

In 2021, Raymond James Stadium hosted Super Bowl LV, where the Buccaneers became the first NFL team to play and win a Super Bowl in their home stadium.

2021: Super Bowl LV

In 2021, Raymond James Stadium hosted Super Bowl LV, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers becoming the first team in NFL history to play and win a Super Bowl on their home field.

2021: CONCACAF Champions League Match

In 2021, Raymond James Stadium hosted a CONCACAF Champions League match between Toronto FC and Cruz Azul.

2022: Temporary Seats Set Up

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

October 15, 2023: Largest Crowd

On October 15, 2023, the largest crowd after the temporary seating was removed for 2023, which has been 65,854 against Detroit.

2023: Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour

In 2023, Beyonce performed at Raymond James Stadium as part of her Renaissance World Tour.

February 14, 2025: Major League Soccer Preseason Game

On February 14, 2025, Raymond James Stadium hosted a Major League Soccer preseason game between Orlando City SC and Inter Miami CF. The game ended in a 2–2 draw and had an attendance of 42,017 fans.

March 15, 2025: Savannah Bananas Exhibition Baseball Game

On March 15, 2025, the Savannah Bananas exhibition baseball team hosted a game at Raymond James Stadium that drew a sellout crowd of 65,000 spectators. The Bananas won the game, 10–11, in the fourth round of the showdown tiebreaker.

February 1, 2026: NHL Stadium Series Game

On February 1, 2026, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League played the 2026 NHL Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium. The Lightning rallied from a 5–1 deficit to beat the Bruins 6–5 in a shootout in front of 64,617 fans.