Tampa Sports Authority Wants Bucs To Have Priority Over Rays For Stadium Funds

The $1 billion renovation project for Raymond James Stadium may be clearing one of its biggest hurdles.

Last month, it was reported that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were hoping to secure money estimated at between $700 million and $1.3 billion to make major renovations to Raymond James, including a sun screen for fans. The upgrades were being negotiated as part of a possible five-year lease extension between the Bucs and the stadium.

The Bucs’ current lease expires in January 2028, but the deadline to agree to an extension comes a year earlier. Raymond James has been the Bucs’ home since it opened in 1998. The stadium is one of the NFL’s preferred Super Bowl hosts, with three Super Bowls played at Raymond James since it opened.

According to Collen Wright, the Bucs opened negotiations by offering to pay for one-third of the renovations, with the rest coming from public funds.

Unfortunately for the Bucs, those public funds were always approved for a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays, the city’s MLB team. With $976 million approved for the Rays, public funding for James would be hard to find.

Unfortunately for the Rays, the money approved for their new stadium was part of a nonbinding agreement. According to The Sports Business Journal, the Tampa Sports Authority believes the Bucs’ project should have priority over the Rays.

Emma Behrmann of the Tampa Bay Business Journal reports that “The Tampa Sports Authority will ‘send a letter to Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa emphasizing that funding a renovation of the Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium ‘should be prioritized over’ a new ballpark for the Rays.

Negotiations between the Bucs and the Tampa Sports Authority will continue until an agreement is presumably reached. However, the Rays aren’t giving up without a fight.

John Romano of The Times says the Rays are “now negotiating with both the county and city on final documents that would lock in the funds and other obligations.” Before any agreement is finalized, Romano notes it will “need to be approved by county commissioners and city council members.”

It is not a surprise that any city would prioritize its NFL franchise over its own MLB team. The city of Tampa will likely give a majority of available public funds to the Bucs, while funding for the Rays’ new stadium will be delayed until alternative funds can be found.

Hopefully, both teams end up getting what they want. The Rays have long-needed a new stadium, while the Bucs’ home is almost 30 years old. Raymond James is one of the NFL’s most famous stadiums, and the NFL usually ends up getting what it wants.

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