Raymond James Stadium

About Raymond James Stadium

Raymond James Stadium is a football and soccer stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls, and was formerly home to the MLS's Tampa Bay Mutiny. The stadium seats just over 66,000, and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events. The stadium also hosts the annual Outback Bowl on New Year's Day, and the Super Bowl of Motorsports monster truck event in mid-January. Super Bowl XXXV was held there on January 28, 2001 between the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants. It will host Super Bowl XLIII in 2009.

Raymond James Stadium was built primarily to replace the aging Houlihan's Stadium, formerly located adjacent to the property. It is located on the former site of the now-demolished Al Lopez Field. The stadium officially opened September 20, 1998, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Chicago Bears, 27-15. The final cost of the stadium was $168.5 million, publicly financed. It was known as Tampa Community Stadium during construction, but the naming rights were bought for $32.5 million for a thirteen-year deal by St. Petersburg-based Raymond James Financial in June 1998. On April 27, 2006 an extension was signed to maintain naming rights through 2015.

The stadium was selected to host the ACC Championship Game in 2008 and 2009.