Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Tampa, Florida that opened in 1998 and is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League and the University of South Florida Bulls college football program.
| FactSnippet No. 1,259,236 |
Raymond James Stadium was built at public expense as a replacement for Tampa Stadium and is known for the replica pirate ship located behind the seating area in the north end zone.
| FactSnippet No. 1,259,237 |
Immediately upon purchasing the Buccaneers in 1995, new owner Malcolm Glazer declared that twenty-eight year old Tampa Raymond James Stadium was inadequate to justify the record $192 million he paid for the NFL franchise and began lobbying local government for a replacement.
| FactSnippet No. 1,259,239 |
Somewhat derisively, it has been occasionally referred to as "the CITS", a name coined by long-time local sportscaster Chris Thomas which stands for "Community Investment Tax Raymond James Stadium", referring to the fact that the stadium was entirely financed by local taxpayers.
| FactSnippet No. 1,259,241 |
In 2017, Raymond James Stadium hosted the College Football Playoff National Championship, where the Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in a rematch of the 2016 championship.
| FactSnippet No. 1,259,242 |
Raymond James Stadium was home to the former Tampa Bay Mutiny of Major League Soccer and continues to periodically host other soccer matches due to its accommodating field dimensions.
| FactSnippet No. 1,259,243 |
Raymond James Stadium hosted a 2021 CONCACAF Champions League match between Toronto FC and Cruz Azul.
| FactSnippet No. 1,259,244 |
Raymond James Stadium has hosted several large scale concerts, with the largest attendance coming at a show by U2 in 2009.
| FactSnippet No. 1,259,245 |