Houlihan's Stadium
Encyclopedia
Tampa Stadium was a sports venue located at 4201 North Dale Mabry
Highway in Tampa, Florida
, USA. The stadium is most closely associated with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
National Football League
franchise, which played all of their home games in the stadium from 1976
through 1997
. It was demolished in 1999 following the construction of Raymond James Stadium
, which is sometimes referred to as "The New Sombrero" in memory of its predecessor in spite of its unsombrero-like design
-shaped concrete
grandstand
s built along the sidelines of the grass playing surface. The seating area was accessed via short tunnels built from the rear concourse
s through the grandstands at ground level and about halfway up the stadium. Long, backless aluminum benches were arranged on a single tier so that every seat had a direct and unobstructed view of the action. Capacity was 46,481.
" by ESPN
's Chris Berman for the unique undulating hat / wave shape created along the top of the stadium by the 1975 expansion.
The last major renovation took place in the early 1980s when, in preparation for its first Super Bowl
in January 1984, Tampa Stadium's press box
atop the west grandstand was updated and a large suite of luxury box
es was added atop the east grandstand. This configuration gave the facility its maximum seating capacity
of 74,301.
For the 1990
season, large flagpoles were mounted on the upper rim of the stadium as part of a renovation that included the addition of a JumboTron
screen in the south end zone and smaller scoreboards above the field-level tunnels in two corners of the stadium. The poles were used to fly large flags for each of the NFL's teams until 1997
, when the Buccaneers adopted a uniform redesign featuring a red flag on their helmets. Large versions of the flag were hoisted on the stadium's flagpoles when the Buccaneers penetrated their opponents' 20-yard line. The franchise continued this practice when it moved to Raymond James Stadium
next door a year later.
. Throughout its existence, exterior walls were painted light tan or white or left as bare concrete, as were the flooring surfaces. Seating consisted of long aluminum benches, and there was no roof or overhang of any kind over the field or seating areas.
This minimalist design in Tampa's subtropical climate
created a very warm venue for spectators and participants alike, especially after the stadium was bowled-in for the Bucs' 1976 inaugural season. While fans could retreat under the grandstands to the shade of the wide concourses where concessions and restrooms were located, players and personnel on the field had no such recourse. Cooling equipment was usually placed near the sideline benches, and the Buccaneers usually wore white jerseys for home games, forcing their opponents to wear darker (and hotter) colors. During the summer and early autumn, events in the stadium were often scheduled in the evening hours to avoid the afternoon heat and humidity. In another nod to local weather, the natural grass playing surface was highly crowned to provide rapid drainage during Tampa's intense thunderstorm
s, with the sidelines almost 18 inches lower than the center of the field.
-era airfield which was the precursor to Tampa International Airport
. The city of Tampa bought the 720 acre parcel from the federal government in 1949 with the idea of eventually building a community sports complex. Al Lopez Field
was the first phase of the project, opening in 1955.
By the early 1960s, Tampa's civic leaders were interested in attracting a National Football League
team to the area. Several well-attended NFL exhibition games were held at Phillips Field near downtown, but the venue was too small to support a professional football franchise. So with the encouragement of NFL officials, the city decided to build a larger facility which could be used by the University of Tampa
’s football team in the short term and could be expanded for use by a theoretical pro team in the future.
Construction began in the fall of 1966 on a large, grassy lot between Dale Mabry Highway
and Himes Avenue directly adjacent to Al Lopez Field, which was by then the home of the Tampa Tarpons
of the Florida State League
and the spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds
. Ample parking was available in large lots surrounding the stadium, as well as at nearby Horizon Park (now Al Lopez
Park) and Jesuit High School
. In this initial phase, Tampa Stadium consisted of two large grandstands with open ends and had a seating capacity
of 45,000.
. While the Spartans lost that game 38-0, they would enjoy later success in their new home, moving up to Division I football in 1971 and sending several players to the NFL, including Freddie Solomon
and John Matuszak
. However, attendance at the games did not meet expectations and university president B.D. Owens
said the school would face bankruptcy if it continued to subsidize the sport. At the end of the 1974 season, "Tampa U" shut down its football program.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies were the stadium's first professional tenant. The Rowdies won their only outdoor championship during the team's first season in 1975. They played their home games in Tampa Stadium until the North American Soccer League
disbanded in 1984.
and Washington Redskins
was played in August 1968 and drew a near-sellout crowd. Eleven more games were held in the following seasons with similarly enthusiastic crowds, including three featuring the Baltimore Colts
in 1972.
These preseason games gave NFL owners and officials ample opportunity to assess the Tampa Bay area and the stadium, and on April 24, 1974, Tampa was awarded an NFL expansion team to begin play in the 1976 season.
23-0. That would become a trend, as the team began their existence with an NFL-record 26 game losing streak. They would not win a game on their home field until defeating the St. Louis Cardinals
on the last game of the following season, December 18, 1977. Jubilant fans swarmed the Tampa Stadium turf and tore down the goal posts
.
The Buccaneers had improved enough by the 1979 season to host the NFC Championship game, which they lost 9-0 to the Los Angeles Rams. The Bucs played 18 additional seasons in the facility but struggled through most of them. They would only host one more playoff game on their original home turf: a wildcard matchup with the Detroit Lions
on December 28, 1997 which they won 20-10. This would be the last game the team ever played in Tampa Stadium, as they moved next door to Raymond James Stadium in 1998.
Malcolm Glazer
also acquired naming rights to Tampa Stadium when he purchased the Buccaneers in 1995. In October of that year, he had the Houlihan's
restaurant
chain, another business in his portfolio, pay the Bucs $10 million for those rights. This resulted in the official name of the facility being changed to "Houlihan's Stadium" in 1996 and in Glazer being sued by Houlihan's stockholders, who were not happy about purchasing stadium naming rights in an area in which the chain had no restaurants.
, Jethro Tull
, Paul McCartney
, David Bowie
, U2
, The Rolling Stones
, Jimmy Buffett
, The Eagles, Whitney Houston
, Jonathan Butler
, Kenny G
, George Michael
, Pink Floyd
, the Grateful Dead
, and several big acts at the same time during the 1988 Monsters of Rock Tour
, among others.
Two particularly memorable concerts were held there by the English
rock band Led Zeppelin
. On May 5, 1973, the band attracted 56,800 people, which at the time represented the largest audience for a single artist performance in history, breaking the record set by The Beatles
at Shea Stadium
in 1965. On June 3, 1977, the band returned to the venue, but the concert was cut short due to a large thunderstorm. An audience riot followed, with police ultimately using tear gas to disperse the crowd. Local authorities banned concerts in Tampa Stadium for over a year and changed security rules before allowing shows to resume.
Billy Graham
held a "Florida West Coast Crusade" at Tampa Stadium, drawing a combined crowd of about 175,000 over five consecutive days.
declared that Tampa Stadium was inadequate and threatened to move the franchise to another city unless a new stadium was built at taxpayer's expense. To accommodate these demands, Hillsborough County
raised local sales tax
es and built Raymond James Stadium
just south of Tampa Stadium in 1997-98.
Demolition
of Tampa Stadium proceeded soon after the Tampa Bay Mutiny's final home game on September 13, 1998. Wrecking ball
s and long reach excavator
s were used for much of the process. The last portion of the stadium (the east side luxury boxes built for the stadium's first Super Bowl), was imploded
on April 11, 1999. The land was then cleared and converted into a parking lot.
and Madden NFL 2001
.
Dale Mabry
Dale Mabry was an American World War I aviator.Mabry, a native of Florida, was the son of former Florida Supreme Court Justice Milton H. Mabry and Ella Dale Bramlett. He went on to become an airship pilot and captain in the United States Army...
Highway in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, USA. The stadium is most closely associated with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
franchise, which played all of their home games in the stadium from 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
through 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
. It was demolished in 1999 following the construction of Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
, which is sometimes referred to as "The New Sombrero" in memory of its predecessor in spite of its unsombrero-like design
Design
Tampa Stadium's original 1967 configuration consisted of a matching pair of large archArch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
-shaped concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
grandstand
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
s built along the sidelines of the grass playing surface. The seating area was accessed via short tunnels built from the rear concourse
Concourse
A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space.-Examples:Examples of concourses include:* Meeting halls* Universities* Railway stations...
s through the grandstands at ground level and about halfway up the stadium. Long, backless aluminum benches were arranged on a single tier so that every seat had a direct and unobstructed view of the action. Capacity was 46,481.
Expansion and renovation history
Tampa Stadium underwent an extensive expansion project in 1974-1975 after the city was awarded an NFL expansion team. Over 27,000 seats were added by completely enclosing the open endzones, making the venue one of the largest in the NFL at a capacity of 71,908. The resulting arena was not in the shape of a simple bowl. It was highest at the center of the two sideline grandstands and gently sloped downward to a rounded corner where it met the new sections, which were about half as tall. Much later, the stadium was dubbed "The Big SombreroSombrero
Sombrero in English refers to a type of wide-brimmed hat originating in Mexico. In Spanish, however, it is the generic word for "hat", which originates from "sombra", meaning "shade"....
" by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Chris Berman for the unique undulating hat / wave shape created along the top of the stadium by the 1975 expansion.
The last major renovation took place in the early 1980s when, in preparation for its first Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
in January 1984, Tampa Stadium's press box
Press box
The press box is a special section of a sports stadium or arena that is set up for the media to report about a given event. It is typically located in the section of the stadium holding the luxury box. In general, newspaper writers sit in this box and write about the on-field event as it unfolds...
atop the west grandstand was updated and a large suite of luxury box
Luxury box
A Luxury box is a special seating section located within stadiums, arenas and other sporting and entertainment venues. They are typically located in the midsection of a stadium grandstand, usually providing the best views of the event...
es was added atop the east grandstand. This configuration gave the facility its maximum seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 74,301.
For the 1990
1990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...
season, large flagpoles were mounted on the upper rim of the stadium as part of a renovation that included the addition of a JumboTron
Jumbotron
A JumboTron is a large-screen television using technology developed by Sony, typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close-up shots of the event. Although JumboTron is a registered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, the word jumbotron is often used by the public as a...
screen in the south end zone and smaller scoreboards above the field-level tunnels in two corners of the stadium. The poles were used to fly large flags for each of the NFL's teams until 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
, when the Buccaneers adopted a uniform redesign featuring a red flag on their helmets. Large versions of the flag were hoisted on the stadium's flagpoles when the Buccaneers penetrated their opponents' 20-yard line. The franchise continued this practice when it moved to Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
next door a year later.
Seating Capacity
The seating capacity over the years went as followed:- 46,481 (1967-1975)
- 71,951 (1976-1978)
- 72,126 (1979-1981)
- 72,812 (1982-1984)
- 74,315 (1985-1988)
- 74,296 (1989-1992)
- 74,301 (1993-1998)
Heat
Tampa Stadium was built almost exclusively of concreteConcrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
. Throughout its existence, exterior walls were painted light tan or white or left as bare concrete, as were the flooring surfaces. Seating consisted of long aluminum benches, and there was no roof or overhang of any kind over the field or seating areas.
This minimalist design in Tampa's subtropical climate
Climate of the Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay area has a humid subtropical climate , with warm and humid summers with frequent thunderstorms and drier winters with freezing temperatures occurring every 2–3 years. The area experiences a significant summer wet season, as nearly two-thirds of the annual precipitation falls in the...
created a very warm venue for spectators and participants alike, especially after the stadium was bowled-in for the Bucs' 1976 inaugural season. While fans could retreat under the grandstands to the shade of the wide concourses where concessions and restrooms were located, players and personnel on the field had no such recourse. Cooling equipment was usually placed near the sideline benches, and the Buccaneers usually wore white jerseys for home games, forcing their opponents to wear darker (and hotter) colors. During the summer and early autumn, events in the stadium were often scheduled in the evening hours to avoid the afternoon heat and humidity. In another nod to local weather, the natural grass playing surface was highly crowned to provide rapid drainage during Tampa's intense thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
s, with the sidelines almost 18 inches lower than the center of the field.
Early history
The land on which Tampa Stadium was situated had been the perimeter of Drew Field, a World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-era airfield which was the precursor to Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport is a major public airport located six nautical miles west of the central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority...
. The city of Tampa bought the 720 acre parcel from the federal government in 1949 with the idea of eventually building a community sports complex. Al Lopez Field
Al Lopez Field
Al Lopez Field was a spring training and Minor League baseball park in Tampa, Florida, United States. It was named for Tampa native and Baseball Hall of Famer Al Lopez....
was the first phase of the project, opening in 1955.
By the early 1960s, Tampa's civic leaders were interested in attracting a National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
team to the area. Several well-attended NFL exhibition games were held at Phillips Field near downtown, but the venue was too small to support a professional football franchise. So with the encouragement of NFL officials, the city decided to build a larger facility which could be used by the University of Tampa
University of Tampa
The University of Tampa , is a private, co-educational university in Downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2006, the University celebrated its 75th anniversary...
’s football team in the short term and could be expanded for use by a theoretical pro team in the future.
Construction began in the fall of 1966 on a large, grassy lot between Dale Mabry Highway
Dale Mabry Highway
Dale Mabry Highway is a north–south road in Tampa, Florida. The majority of its length consists of three lanes each direction plus a central turn-lane and often includes a right-turn lane. It begins at the MacDill Air Force Base entrance in South Tampa and ends by merging with US 41 just...
and Himes Avenue directly adjacent to Al Lopez Field, which was by then the home of the Tampa Tarpons
Tampa Tarpons
The Tampa Tarpons were a minor league baseball team based in Tampa, Florida. They played in the Class A Florida State League from 1957–1988, when they were sold, relocated, and renamed the Sarasota White Sox...
of the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
and the spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. Ample parking was available in large lots surrounding the stadium, as well as at nearby Horizon Park (now Al Lopez
Al Lopez
Alfonso Ramon "Al" Lopez was an American catcher and manager in Major League Baseball, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977....
Park) and Jesuit High School
Jesuit High School of Tampa
Jesuit High School of Tampa, established in 1899, is a private, Catholic, all-male high school located in Tampa, Florida, USA. It operates independently of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.Jesuit of Tampa teaches a college...
. In this initial phase, Tampa Stadium consisted of two large grandstands with open ends and had a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 45,000.
First tenants
On November 4, 1967, the stadium hosted its first sporting event when the University of Tampa Spartans hosted the #3 University of Tennessee VolunteersTennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
. While the Spartans lost that game 38-0, they would enjoy later success in their new home, moving up to Division I football in 1971 and sending several players to the NFL, including Freddie Solomon
Freddie Solomon
.Freddie Solomon , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 2nd round of the 1975 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 184-lb. wide receiver from the University of Tampa, Solomon played in 11 NFL seasons for the Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers from 1975 to 1985...
and John Matuszak
John Matuszak
John Daniel "Tooz" Matuszak was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League who later became an actor. He was the first draft pick of 1973 and played most of his career with the Oakland Raiders until he retired after winning his second Super Bowl in 1981...
. However, attendance at the games did not meet expectations and university president B.D. Owens
B.D. Owens
Bobbie Dean Owens was a university president of University of Tampa, Northwest Missouri State University and St. Matthew's University-Early life:...
said the school would face bankruptcy if it continued to subsidize the sport. At the end of the 1974 season, "Tampa U" shut down its football program.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies were the stadium's first professional tenant. The Rowdies won their only outdoor championship during the team's first season in 1975. They played their home games in Tampa Stadium until the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
disbanded in 1984.
Exhibition games
Looking to showcase the city's new facility for the NFL, community leaders arranged for several exhibition games in Tampa Stadium in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The first such game between the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
was played in August 1968 and drew a near-sellout crowd. Eleven more games were held in the following seasons with similarly enthusiastic crowds, including three featuring the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
in 1972.
These preseason games gave NFL owners and officials ample opportunity to assess the Tampa Bay area and the stadium, and on April 24, 1974, Tampa was awarded an NFL expansion team to begin play in the 1976 season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers' first regular season home game was held on September 19, 1976, when the Bucs lost to the San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
23-0. That would become a trend, as the team began their existence with an NFL-record 26 game losing streak. They would not win a game on their home field until defeating the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on the last game of the following season, December 18, 1977. Jubilant fans swarmed the Tampa Stadium turf and tore down the goal posts
Goal (sport)
Goal refers to a method of scoring in many sports. It can also refer to the physical structure or area of the playing surface where scoring occurs....
.
The Buccaneers had improved enough by the 1979 season to host the NFC Championship game, which they lost 9-0 to the Los Angeles Rams. The Bucs played 18 additional seasons in the facility but struggled through most of them. They would only host one more playoff game on their original home turf: a wildcard matchup with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
on December 28, 1997 which they won 20-10. This would be the last game the team ever played in Tampa Stadium, as they moved next door to Raymond James Stadium in 1998.
"Houlihan's Stadium"
Malcolm Glazer
Malcolm Glazer
Malcolm Irving Glazer is an American businessman and sports team owner. He is the president and chief executive officer of First Allied Corporation, a holding company for his varied business interests, most notably in the food processing industry...
also acquired naming rights to Tampa Stadium when he purchased the Buccaneers in 1995. In October of that year, he had the Houlihan's
Houlihan's
Houlihan's is a Leawood, Kansas-based American contemporary restaurant chain. The first Houlihan's opened on April 1, 1972 on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza, and is now in 21 states...
restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
chain, another business in his portfolio, pay the Bucs $10 million for those rights. This resulted in the official name of the facility being changed to "Houlihan's Stadium" in 1996 and in Glazer being sued by Houlihan's stockholders, who were not happy about purchasing stadium naming rights in an area in which the chain had no restaurants.
Other tenants and events
Tampa Stadium was the home field for several teams and hosted a wide variety of events during its lifetime.Home teams
- Between 1983 and 1985, the Tampa Bay BanditsTampa Bay BanditsThe Tampa Bay Bandits were a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. They were members of the United States Football League . They were a charter member of the USFL and folded along with the league after the 1985 season....
, one of the twelve original USFLUnited States Football LeagueThe United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
franchises, were the stadium's third professional tenant. The Bandits enjoyed strong ticket sales and fan support, and were one of the few USFL teams to stay in their original city and stadium for the league's three seasons.
- The University of South FloridaUniversity of South FloridaThe University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
Bulls football team played its initial season at the stadium in 1997, becoming the stadium's second and final collegiate tenant. The Bulls would play the final football game at the stadium on September 12, 1998, defeating Valparaiso 51-0 before moving to Raymond James Stadium for their next home game on October 3, 1998.
- Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
placed one of its original teams in Tampa in 1996. The Tampa Bay MutinyTampa Bay MutinyThe Tampa Bay Mutiny was a charter franchise of Major League Soccer active from 1996 - 2001. They initially played in Tampa Stadium and were immediately successful, winning the first MLS Supporters' Shield behind MLS MVP Carlos Valderrama and high-scoring forward Roy Lassiter, whose 27 goals in...
were the stadium's fourth and final professional tenant. The Mutiny used the stadium as their home field for their first three seasons, and moved to Raymond James StadiumRaymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
in 1999. They hosted the last sporting event at the stadium on September 13, 1998, when they defeated the New York MetroStarsRed Bull New YorkThe New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer team based in Harrison, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The team competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
2-1 in front of 27,957 people.
Sporting events
- The Pro Bowl was held at Tampa Stadium on January 29, 1978, two years before the game began a 30-year residency in Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu, HawaiiHonolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
.
- Tampa Stadium hosted two Super BowlSuper BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s. On June 3, 1981, the NFL chose Tampa to host Super Bowl XVIIISuper Bowl XVIIISuper Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...
, which was held in January 1984 and pitted the Los Angeles Raiders against the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. On May 20, 1987, the NFL announced that Tampa Stadium would host Super Bowl XXVSuper Bowl XXVSuper Bowl XXV was an American football game played on January 27, 1991 at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1990 regular season. The National Football Conference Champion New York Giants defeated the American Football Conference ...
, which was held in January 1991 and featured the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
- On July 15, 1984, Tampa Stadium hosted the 2nd USFLUnited States Football LeagueThe United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
Championship Game between the Philadelphia Stars and the Arizona WranglersArizona WranglersThe Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:...
.
- From 1986 to 1998, college football'sCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
Outback BowlOutback BowlThe Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
(previously held in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
as the Hall of Fame Bowl) was played in Tampa Stadium on New Year's Day. The 1999 Outback Bowl and all subsequent editions have been played at Raymond James Stadium.
- Between 1977 and 1979, the Can-Am Bowl (a college all-star game) was played in the stadium.
- Tampa Stadium hosted a large annual USHRA monster truckMonster truckA monster truck is a pickup truck, typically styled after pickup trucks' bodies, modified or purposely built with extremely large wheels and suspension...
rally in late January or early February (after football season, when turf damage wouldn't matter) for many years, and hosted equestrian show jumpingShow jumpingShow jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
competitions later in the spring. Both of these events are still held in Raymond James Stadium.
Concerts
The stadium hosted concerts by many famous artists, including The WhoThe Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
, The Eagles, Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, Jonathan Butler
Jonathan Butler
Jonathan Butler is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music is often classified as R&B, jazz fusion or worship music.-Biography:...
, Kenny G
Kenny G
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick , better known by his stage name Kenny G, is an American, adult contemporary and smooth jazz saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986...
, George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, and several big acts at the same time during the 1988 Monsters of Rock Tour
Monsters of Rock Tour 1988
The Monsters of Rock Tour 1988 was a festival tour of the USA in 1988, headlined by hard rock band Van Halen as part of their promotion for their OU812 album with heavy metal band Metallica as well as other bands including Scorpions, Dokken, and Kingdom Come. It formed the first section of the...
, among others.
Two particularly memorable concerts were held there by the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock band Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. On May 5, 1973, the band attracted 56,800 people, which at the time represented the largest audience for a single artist performance in history, breaking the record set by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
in 1965. On June 3, 1977, the band returned to the venue, but the concert was cut short due to a large thunderstorm. An audience riot followed, with police ultimately using tear gas to disperse the crowd. Local authorities banned concerts in Tampa Stadium for over a year and changed security rules before allowing shows to resume.
Special events
In March 1979, evangelistEvangelist
-Religion:*one of the Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels in the New Testament*a Christian who explains his or her beliefs to a non-Christian and thereby participates in Evangelism...
Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
held a "Florida West Coast Crusade" at Tampa Stadium, drawing a combined crowd of about 175,000 over five consecutive days.
Demolition
Upon buying the Buccaneers in 1995, new owner Malcolm GlazerMalcolm Glazer
Malcolm Irving Glazer is an American businessman and sports team owner. He is the president and chief executive officer of First Allied Corporation, a holding company for his varied business interests, most notably in the food processing industry...
declared that Tampa Stadium was inadequate and threatened to move the franchise to another city unless a new stadium was built at taxpayer's expense. To accommodate these demands, Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
raised local sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
es and built Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
just south of Tampa Stadium in 1997-98.
Demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
of Tampa Stadium proceeded soon after the Tampa Bay Mutiny's final home game on September 13, 1998. Wrecking ball
Wrecking ball
A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane, that is used for demolishing large buildings. It was most common during the 1950s and 1960s. Several wrecking companies claim to have invented the wrecking ball...
s and long reach excavator
Long reach excavator
The long reach excavator or high reach excavator is a development of the excavator with an especially long boom arm, that is primarily used for demolition. Instead of excavating ditches, the long reach excavator is designed to reach the upper stories of buildings that are being demolished and pull...
s were used for much of the process. The last portion of the stadium (the east side luxury boxes built for the stadium's first Super Bowl), was imploded
Building implosion
In the controlled demolition industry, building implosion is the strategic placing of explosive material and timing of its detonation so that a structure collapses on itself in a matter of seconds, minimizing the physical damage to its immediate surroundings...
on April 11, 1999. The land was then cleared and converted into a parking lot.
Tampa Stadium in video games
Tampa Stadium featured in a number of video games, including Madden NFL 2000Madden NFL 2000
Madden NFL 2000 is a football video game. This was the second of the Madden NFL games to not solely feature John Madden on the cover in North America. The only other one was Madden NFL '95. Most versions of the game cover featured Madden prominently in the foreground, and a recognizable Barry...
and Madden NFL 2001
Madden NFL 2001
Madden NFL 2001 is an American football video game. It is the third in the Madden NFL series to include an NFL player, Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George, on its cover . It is also the first game in the Madden NFL series to appear on the PlayStation 2 game console...
.