Overview
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, is poised to host its third Super Bowl game, the fifth for Tampa. Opening in 1998, “Ray Jay” is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the first NFL team in history to reach the Super Bowl hosted in their home stadium.
The stadium underwent extensive renovations, beginning in 2014, which included a complete redesign of the main level, approximately 30,000 square feet of HD video boards, expansion of the west club, cheerleader’s locker room, and the east atrium restaurant.
Walter P Moore served as a structural engineering steward for the facility enabling the 20+-year-old stadium to maintain its status as a premium venue. The stage is set for this premier venue to, once again, host one of the world’s largest and most viewed sporting events.
FAST FACT:
Located beyond the north endzone at Raymond James Stadium, Buccaneer Cove is modeled after a 19th century Pirate village. Buccaneer Cove’s main attraction is a 103-foot long replica of a pirate ship.
Moore Bowl History:
#VIII (1974) — Rice Stadium (Houston)
#XVIII (1984) — Tampa Stadium (Tampa)
#XXV (1991) — Tampa Stadium (Tampa)
#XXVI (1992) — Metrodome (Minneapolis)
#XXXV (2001) — Raymond James Stadium (Tampa)
#XXXVIII (2004) — Reliant Stadium (Houston)
#XLII (2008) — University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale/Phoenix)
#XLIII (2009) — Raymond James Stadium (Tampa)
#XLV (2011) — AT&T Stadium (Arlington/Dallas)
#XLVI (2012) — Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
#XLIX (2015) — University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale/Phoenix)
#50* (2016) — Levi’s Stadium (San Francisco)
#LI (2017) — NRG Stadium (Houston)
FAST FACT:
*Super Bowl 50 is the only Super Bowl to use Arabic rather than Roman numerals in its name.
Why? For purely aesthetic reasons. “L immediately brought up so many negative connotations,” NFL creative director Shandon Melvin said, who added that L, as opposed to X or V, was “very asymmetrical.”
