Bucs discuss major RayJay renovation with Tampa, Hillsborough officials

The Bucs confirmed Wednesday they have had preliminary meetings with officials from the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County and the Tampa Sports Authority to discuss plans for a major renovation of Raymond James Stadium, signaling the first steps toward a significant upgrade of the club's 29-year-old home.

The estimated cost of the project was not exchanged. An overhaul of Jacksonville's EverBank Stadium, home of the NFL's Jaguars, is expected to cost about $1.4 billion.

"I can confirm that we met recently with the Tampa Sports Authority, Hillsborough County, and the City of Tampa to discuss developing a long-term plan that supports the stadium's ability to continue hosting major events which contribute to the success of our region," Bucs chief operating officer Brian Ford said in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times. "As Raymond James Stadium enters its 29th year, our goal is to ensure it remains a competitive premier sports and entertainment venue for the Tampa Bay community well into the future."

Since opening in 1998, Raymond James has hosted three Super Bowls (2001, 2009 and 2021) and the College Football Playoff national championship game in 2017.

The Bucs' meetings with Hillsborough and Tampa officials comes at the same time the Rays are trying to find public and private financing for at least half of a proposed $2.3 billion ballpark on Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus.

The Bucs have less than 10 months (on or before Jan. 31, 2027) to extend their lease for five more years at the stadium that sits just across the street from where the Rays hope to construct their ballpark.

While the rent the Bucs pay now will double from $3.5 million a year to $7 million a year, according to terms of their lease extension agreement, it will not go beyond $7 million for another five years.

Eric Hart, the president and CEO of the sports authority, called the initial meeting with the Bucs "a productive step" but offered no estimated cost for a renovation of Raymond James or where that money would come from.

"The 50-year partnership between the Buccaneers and the Tampa Sports Authority has delivered great results for our community," Hart said in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times. "Our goal is to continue collaboratively to ensure Raymond James Stadium remains a world class venue, capable of hosting major concerts for decades to come. Our initial meeting was a productive step in discussing the stadium's long term future and establishing a financially responsible path forward."

Hart previously pointed to recent examples of the newest NFL stadiums in Nashville, Buffalo and Las Vegas, each of which cost at least $2 billion.

Tampa City Council chairperson Alan Clendenin, who also serves on the Tampa Sports Authority and has played an active role in the city's negotiations with the Rays, said in a text message to the Tampa Bay Times that the Buccaneers have "had preliminary discussions with Eric Hart and not the sports authority board."

Clendenin said he is "not sure that those talks have extended to the city, and I have no knowledge of discussions that may or may not have taken place with the county."

Reached by phone, council member Bill Carlson said he had not met with the football team and that "it's maybe not that time in the process."

The last renovation to Raymond James came in 2016-18 and cost $160 million, most of it coming from the Glazer family that owns the Bucs. The sports authority, which is funded by Hillsborough County, contributed $29 million.

The timing of the meetings with the Bucs is not coincidental. The Rays recently submitted plans for a private-public partnership to finance their proposed new stadium across the street from Raymond James.

The Bucs have been a staple of Tampa Bay since they began play as an expansion team in 1976 at Tampa Stadium. The team was sold by the Hugh Culverhouse charitable trust to the Glazer family in 1995.

The Community Investment Tax, a half-cent sales tax in Hillsborough County, helped construct Raymond James Stadium, which opened in 1998 at a cost of $168.5 million.

Council member Charlie Miranda, who is serving his ninth term, wore black suits, black shirts and black ties to City Hall for months to mourn "the burial of the taxpayer" when Raymond James was built.

And he's doing the same this year, in response to the Rays' billion-dollar public ask.

"I'll be wearing black - including black socks and everything - until this is all over," he said.

Of the football team, Miranda said, "It's a business. I'm not anti-sports, but I don't do that for any other business. What makes it so special?"

At least 10 NFL teams are either undergoing major stadium renovations, building new venues or recently had a new one open for play.

Carolina, Baltimore and Jacksonville are undergoing major renovations. Tennessee, Buffalo and Washington have new stadiums under construction. Chicago and Kansas City are in the midst of searches for new stadium sites. SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas both opened in 2020.

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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 5:06 PM.