Bucs Take First Step Toward Stadium Renovations

With under two years left on their lease on the county-owned Raymond James Stadium, the Bucs have taken the first step toward exploring upgrades to their longtime home, the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Emma Behrmann reported Wednesday.

The Bucs’ lease ends on Jan. 31, 2028, and according to Behrmann’s report, Tampa Sports Authority CEO Eric Hart said ownership has reached out to the TSA to discuss renovations. The stadium, which opened in 1998, will celebrate its 28th birthday in September.

Hart said no figure has been proposed for the potential renovations just yet, but stadium upgrades across the league have typically surpassed the $1 billion mark. Local municipalities and counties tend to chip in for about half of the cost, Behrmann reported.

Behrmann also had this to say on a potential Raymond James Stadium upgrade:

“It’s also likely the refreshed NFL stadium will include a mixed-use development, following the long-standing trend across all professional sports leagues. The ancillary development wouldn’t require a real estate puzzle: The Bucs have owned the 18-acre Lot 14 between the stadium and the team’s practice facility for over 20 years.”

While no one from the Bucs was available for comment, Tampa Bay co-owner Joel Glazer said at last year’s NFL Annual Meeting that there would be a time and place for these discussions and that renovations are something that the ownership group is always looking into.

“That’s something you’re always looking at because the fan experience is so important in the NFL – in all sports,” Glazer said. “So, we’re constantly looking at the stadium, constantly looking at how we can improve it. You know, we did stuff, what, six years ago? But now it’s six years later and there’s been a lot of new stadiums built, a lot of different renovations done, some advances.

“So, we’re currently looking at all those types of things and evaluating it. There will be a time and a place. We’ll always want to improve the stadium and keep it up to the most competitive standards.”

With the Tampa Bay Times reporting that the Bucs have almost exactly 10 months (on or before Jan. 31, 2027) to extend their lease at Raymond James Stadium for five more years, it sounds like the “time and place” for these discussions is now.

At this year’s NFL Annual Meeting just this week, Glazer essentially gave the same answer.

“We’re always looking at ways to improve the stadium,” he said. “Just look across the league and seeing what everybody’s doing, we take note of what everybody does and kind of take a long-term approach to everything. Thoughtfully work through and look at it. So, we’re always looking at that. Obviously, as the stadium gets older, there’s things that’ll be required. But that’s something that we’re looking at.”

Bucs’ Pursuit Of Stadium Upgrades Comes At An Interesting Time

The Glazer Family meeting with the TSA about Raymond James Stadium’s future comes at a unique time both regarding Tampa’s future and the future of Dale Mabry Highway itself.

Of course, the Tampa Bay Rays are seeking their own forever home — and have been for two decades. The team’s new ownership group has zeroed in on Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry campus as its site for a new baseball stadium, as well as a mixed-use development that is set to feature dining, entertainment, housing and academic facilities, among other community-based amenities.

Rays CEO Ken Babby recently said other sports franchises in Tampa support the team’s pursuit of a new home on Dale Mabry.

“Obviously, sports is great for the community. The Lightning, the Rays, all sports is good for the community,” Joel Glazer said this week. “I think on that, we’re just kind of waiting to see the final plan, kind of just like everybody else. So, we’ll kind of sit back and see how that unfolds.”

But the Bucs are looking for significant dollars, too. The lifespan of a stadium might range between 30-50 years, save for historic sites like Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The Glazers were responsible for much of the $160 million that was invested into Raymond James Stadium between 2016-2018 when the Bucs’ home received new video boards, club renovations, locker room upgrades and a new team store.

Next up will be more upgrades to bring Raymond James Stadium up to speed with other state-of-the-art stadiums throughout the rest of the NFL, positioning Tampa to host more Super Bowls, College Football Playoff games and other big events.

The other reason why the Buccaneers’ request for this discussion is so interestingly timed is that it comes just as final approval was given for the Jacksonville Jaguars to play their 2027 home games at Camping World Stadium in Orlando while their stadium gets a $1.4 billion renovation job.

Assuming the Bucs get what they’re looking for and work will soon be done on their home stadium, they’re likely to have to find their own temporary home while renovations are being completed at their actual home. Perhaps that could be in Orlando as well?

This is just the first step, and as far as what’s next, time will tell. The dollars and cents, as well as the details of the renovations, are still to come. Of course, Pewter Report will have you covered the whole way as the Bucs seek the upgrades they want at “the New Sombrero,” which is, well, not so new anymore.