Welcome To Ray Jay
Raymond James Stadium has been the crown jewel of Tampa Bay, located right on North Dale Mabry Highway, since it’s official opening in 1998.
Since it’s inauguration, the Buccaneers home has hosted a national championship and even two Super Bowls, most recently between the Steelers and Cardinals. For those privileged enough to catch a game are treated to a much upgraded fan day experience.
New Upgrades
Two brand new 9,600 square foot HD display monitors were upgraded to the stadium in 2016 with newer speaker systems and picture perfect quality. Although not normally fan accessible, the Bermudan grass field the Buccaneers play on was actually ranked second best in the NFL, according to a bi-annual players ranking. And, of course, let’s not forget about the 103 ft steel replica pirate ship nestled up in the north end zone. Another area of the stadium that was upgraded is the East Stadium Club. Features include new bars at each end of the club lounge, padded seat, a state-of-the-art audio experience and 162 TV’s.
Combine that with reasonable food prices (by NFL standards) and sweeping views of the Tampa Bay Area from the stadium and fantastic weather, it would be a travesty if the stadium wasn’t ranked highly, right? Not so fast.
Tiebreaker.com just recently posted insight on current NFL stadiums and where they rank among their respective cities. Raymond James Stadium landed at….. Wait for this one, are you ready? 24th best out of 32 teams.
What Can Be Added?
Now, Ray Jay, of course, comes with its flaws as well. The rectangular shape of the stadium really gives it a boxy, college stadium vibe. I’ve also been a huge supporter of a retractable roof similar to what they have down in Miami.
Source: Tiebreaker.com
