Photos by Dave Cottenie and Chris Green, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57
Raymond James Stadium 4201 N Dale Mabry Highway Tampa, FL 33607
Year Opened: 1998
Capacity: 69,218
Raise the Flag
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the most tumultuous histories in the National Football League. Founded in 1976 by notoriously cheap lawyer Hugh Culverhouse, the Bucs quickly earned the moniker “The Yucks” due to their significant ineptitude on the field. The Bucs famously began their first two seasons at 0-26. Through the 80s, Tampa would put together fourteen consecutive losing seasons.
The fortunes would begin to change when the team was sold to the Glazer Family in 1994 after Culverhouse’s death. A soft rebrand away from the “creamsicle” uniforms and Bucco Bruce and moving to a new stadium along with the hiring of future Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy put the Bucs on the winning ways. They won their first of two Super Bowls in 2002. The second golden era of the Bucs dovetailed with the arrival of Tom Brady, arguably the greatest football player ever, and culminated with the 2020 Super Bowl.
The current home of the Buccaneers is Raymond James Stadium. Built in 1998, Raymond James Stadium replaced Tampa Stadium, affectionately known as “The Big Sombrero.” Not one of the best stadiums in the league based on current standards, Raymond James Stadium is a cautionary tale for the future of the NFL. It is a perfectly adequate stadium that is comfortable and functional, but did not cost billions and is not a marvel and therefore passed over as in need of replacement.
Food & Beverage 4
Concessions at Raymond James Stadium are solid with plenty of variety for fans. All of the typical stadium options can be found at the stadium. Burgers, hot dogs, popcorn, and pretzels can be found at many stands. The Little Caesars stands offer pizza options and the PDQ Chicken stands offer excellent chicken fingers and waffle fries.
Some more unique options include pulled pork sandwiches, burnt end sandwiches, burnt end mac and cheese, BBQ Bacon dogs, and citrus chicken nachos. Coca-Cola products are the soft drink of choice. There are several spots all over to purchase a variety of alcoholic beverages including the north and south ends.
Atmosphere 4
Raymond James Stadium is a stadium of a nineties vintage that is more simplistic in its design than its more modern counterparts. However, Raymond James Stadium is a more than adequate facility. The exterior of the stadium is fairly simple but not unattractive. There is plenty of concrete on the exterior, but plenty of markings for the Buccaneers also.
Massive player portraits are featured on the exterior touting their tenure with the team. Although there is no main entrance, one would consider the south entrance as the one for new fans to enter. At the south fans will find Bucs Beach, a large gathering area complete with beach complements such as sandy areas, decorative surfboards, Adirondack chairs, and a lifeguard tower for the DJ. This area also plays a part in the pre-game festivities. There are plenty of photo ops in this area including a large helmet, a Go Bucs sign, and a cutout board where fans can put their face on the Bucs flag.
Upon entering the gates, fans will need to ascend to the main concourse which is behind the lower bowl seating. The concourses are wide and fairly simple with plenty of concession stands and some Bucs markings. Large gathering areas at the north and south are out of the concourses and open to the field. The north end has a large picnic area with umbrellas and tables for fans to meet at.
The south end offers a bit more and is the signature area of the stadium. A large pirate ship plays a large part in the gameday production and is central to the Bucs leaning into their identity. The concession stands at the south end also have facades to make them look like an old port town that seems to be right out of Pirates of the Caribbean. Massive videoboards are at both the north and south ends with secondary boards in the four corners of the stadium that offer more in the way of ads and stats during the game. The upper decks are separated into east and west sides and give the stadium an open feel.
There are no coverings over the upper seating areas. The Bucs share their history with several spots crowing their 2002 and 2020 Super Bowl Championships including the west side facia and the flags above the east upper deck. The Bucs Ring of Honor is found on the east facia and includes Hall of Famers Tony Dungy, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, Leroy Selmon, Warren Sapp, and Ronde Barber along with Monte Kiffin, Paul Gruber, Bruce Arians, Mike Alstott, Jimmie Giles, John McKay, Doug Williams and Malcolm Glazer.
The gameday production at a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game is as good as any in the NFL. The pregame party at Bucs Beach is the place to be before the game. There is plenty to do at Bucs Beach and the atmosphere is good. The Bucs mascot, Captain Fear, enters the stadium through Bucs Beach much like a college marching band, coming from a small parade with the Bucs Cheerleaders, off of a float-like ship, complete with police escort.
Before entering the stadium, the cheer team and mascot rile up the crowd and toss out some giveaway items while being joined by the Bucs Drumline. Inside, the entrance of the players is similar to many other teams, where the announced player enters through fog machines to plenty of hype. During the game, the use of the ship and cannons is frequent. A highlight of the production is the Captain of the Krewe where a celebrity captain yells out to “Raise The Flags” and the sails on the ship are unfurled and massive banners cover the north and south end stands much like a soccer tifo.
The cannons are shot off on a Buccaneers score followed by the Bucs fight song. The crowd also gets involved at every first down when the PA announcer yells that it is “First Down Tampa” and the crowd responds with “BAY!” Overall, it is a great atmosphere for NFL football despite it not being the most modern stadium.
Neighborhood 3
Raymond James Stadium is located in the Drew Park neighborhood of Tampa. The stadium is a bit isolated and surrounded with parking options, making it a good spot for tailgating. There are a few options for pre or post game fare that are not too far away, including Kona Grill, Miller’s Ale House, La Teresita and Armature Works.
There are some other sporting options in the area. The annual ReliaQuest Bowl is held at Raymond James Stadium right around New Years Day. The Gasparilla Bowl is also held at the stadium and it is also the home of the South Florida Bulls until their new on campus stadium is built. Across the parking lot from Raymond James Stadium is George Steinbrenner Field, home of the Tampa Tarpons and the New York Yankees Spring Training.
For at least the 2025 season, it will also be home to the Tampa Bay Rays. Other sports options include the Tampa Bay Lightning and USF Bulls basketball. There are a ton of other Tampa tourist options including Busch Gardens, Zoo Tampa, Florida Aquarium and Tampa Riverwalk. Hotels near the stadium include the Country Inn and Suites and Holiday Inn.
Fans 4
Attendance at Bucs games is a bit more elastic than most other NFL stadiums. For the 2024 season, at the time of writing, the Bucs averaged over 63,000 fans per game, which put them in the bottom third of the NFL. The previous season they averaged nearly 64,000 per game. There is some room for improvement here. The fans get a bit of a bump as they are fairly smart, keeping quiet during offensive series without scoreboard prompting, and being loud during defensive series. They are by no means the loudest fans in the league, but do their team proud, nonetheless
Access 3
Raymond James Stadium is located in the Drew Park neighborhood of Tampa, northwest of downtown, east of the airport. It is surrounded by North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa Bay Blvd., and North Hines Ave. It is 3 km north of I-275 and south of US Highway 92 and not terribly difficult to get to. There are plenty of parking lots surrounding the stadium, perfect for fans who make tailgating a part of their football experience.
The negative side of the tailgating parking lot coin is that getting out of those parking lots can be difficult and take a significant amount of time. The city does a good job of controlling the flow of traffic once out of the stadium, however, getting to the street could take the most time. For fans who wish to take public transit to the game, there are HART buses that travel Himes Ave. Fans should consult the Hillsborough Transit Authority website for fares, schedules and maps.
Inside Raymond James Stadium, it is not terribly difficult to get around, however, fans with seats in the upper decks need to be aware that the decks are completely separate and it is impossible to get from one side to the other without going down to the main concourse.
Raymond James Stadium is also a cashless facility so bringing some plastic is a necessity. The washroom facilities are decent for the stadium and closed captioned announcements are printed on the corner videobaords. The security protocols to get into Raymond James Stadium are significant and should be reviewed before heading to the game.
Stadium Journey encourages fans to consult the Raymond James Stadium and Tampa Bay Buccaneers websites before heading out for the latest security protocols including bag policies and prohibited items list.
Return on Investment 3
All NFL experiences are expensive and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the higher side of the cost equation. According to the Fan Cost Index in 2023 the Bucs were in the top third of the NFL in cost at over $670. Dynamic pricing makes figuring out the cost of tickets a bit challenging, but it seems upper deck seats at Raymond James Stadium start at $100 and get over $215 for the lower bowl.
Parking is definitely expensive as well. Prepaid parking will run at least $40 or $50. Cheaper parking can be found at some of the local businesses along Mabry Highway. Concession items are also expensive. As for the return, fans will definitely have a good time at the game and the Bucs do all they can to put on a good show, but as with all NFL experiences it seems “once-in-a-lifetime” pricing is the order of the day.
Extras 3
An extra mark for the team leaning into their identity and making the most of their pirate motif.
An extra mark for the Bucs making the most of the facility that they have and putting together a strong product.
An extra mark for a team that has pulled itself from being a laughing stock to a two-time champion.
Final Thoughts
The NFL experience is one that will definitely excite fans, however, the cost issues surrounding NFL games are becoming prohibitive and it is clear that the stadium arms race is, once again, on. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers provide a great experience in a solid, yet unspectacular, venue, but fans will definitely pay for the privilege. It will be interesting to see if, like many other current owners, the Bucs make noise about requiring a new home.
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