Home of the University of South
Florida Bulls and the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Raymond James
Stadium has been called the crown jewel of all football stadiums.
After spending many years at Houlihan Stadium, the Buccaneers wanted a
combination of the finest elements of modern stadium design and its
own groundbreaking innovations in a stadium for them.After a referendum was passed, construction began
on the Buccaneers stadium in October 1996. Constructed adjacent to
Houlihan Stadium, fans could watch as the stadium was being
constructed. Raymond James Financial of Tampa purchased the naming
rights for 13 years, thus the stadium was named Raymond James Stadium.
-Tenant: University of South Florida Bulls -Conference: Big East -Capacity: 44,441 (Bulls) -Surface:
Grass -Opened:
1998 -Cost:
$168.5 million
-Seating Chart
Opening day at the state of the art Raymond James
Stadium was on September 20, 1998. The South Florida Bulls also
made the move from Houlihan Stadium to Raymond James Stadium. Two,
three tier grandstands are located on both sides on the playing field,
and additional seating is located past both endzones. Raymond James
Stadium's features are centered around one concept: enhancing the
fan's experience at a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game. The stadium includes
many amenities including 12,000 club seats, 195 luxury suites, and the
main feature, Buccaneer Cove. Located beyond the north
endzone at
Raymond James Stadium, Buccaneer Cove, is modeled after a 19th
century Pirate village. Costing $3 million, Buccaneer Cove's main
attraction is a 103 foot long replica Pirate ship. The ship serves as
a entertainment area for fans. Other features of the Cove include a
weathered, 2-story fishing village facade from which a wide variety of
stadium concessions, ranging from standard fare to more authentic
Tampa items. Also located throughout the area are a variety of beach
hut kiosks offering additional concessions, a 9 ft x 7 ft skull, and
other game enhancements. Raymond James Stadium has been the host of
the Super Bowl and is home of the Outback Bowl every year.
