Bucs Fans May Get Shade
May 27th, 2026
Corrected 7:06 a.m. While details are scant, Bucs fans in the future might not need to bury themselves in SPF 50 sunscreen like they’re at Clearwater Beach in order to attend games.
In a story typed by Colleen Wright of the Tampa Bay Times, it seems the Bucs are looking for roughly $1 billion from the Tampa Sports Authority for a massive renovation of The Licht House.
One feature to be constructed would be a shade structure for fans, Wright typed.
Sports Authority officials told the Tampa Bay Times that half of that renovation amount would go toward sun coverage over the team’s home stadium.
This would be a fantastic feature. Think of how the Dolphins refurbished their stadium and installed a shade apparatus. Joe is convinced this also made the Dolphins stadium much louder.
So who wins? Remember, the Rays want some about $1 billion in public funds for their proposed new playpen right across the street. So all of a sudden, Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa are going to come up with over $2 billion just like that to rebuild the Bucs’ crib and build the Rays a new dome?
Joe has always been suspicious of that and will remain so until a shovel is in the dirt for both projects.
Fortunately, officials with the Tampa Sports Authority, per Wright’s article, seem to be leaning ever so slightly to a Bucs-first approach.
May 27th, 2026 at 12:19 am
The stupid Rays couldn’t even sell out the Yankees minor league stadium – what in the world makes anyone think they’d be able to get more than like 12k a night in a new stadium in Tampa? The issue isn’t the fans, it’s baseball. It’s an old, dying sport played in cities that either have a tradition of wasting times at games, or in cities where there’s nothing else to do. However in Florida, there’s other things to do, all of which are more interesting than baseball.
As for the Rays non-stop argument about the Trop being the issue… well when the Lightning played there, they had no issues drawing a big crowd. Heck the Tampa Bay Storm averaged higher attendance as well at the Thunderdome.
Why anyone in Florida would spend money on baseball outside of spring training makes no sense, and there’s no tourist money either drawing people to come to Florida in July to watch the boring game.
Meanwhile RayJay is one of the top stadiums in the US for concerts (in revenue) and why the TSA would spend money building a competing stadium a block away, again, makes no sense at all.
Tell the Rays to get lost, go to Montreal or whatever other garbage city wants them.
May 27th, 2026 at 1:35 am
I really hope we get some shade. I might go to a game. It’s a sunburnt Bucs life.
May 27th, 2026 at 6:03 am
I love the Bucs and the Rays and the Lightning. Would love it if the Rays finally won the World Series!
May 27th, 2026 at 6:03 am
The average EBITDA for each NFL team was $137 million in 2025.
There are 32 NFL teams.
Explain why Counties and States need to come up with most of the financing for stadiums…and don’t give me the team may move argument because the team could move with or without a new or improved stadium.
Americans love Corporate Welfare
May 27th, 2026 at 6:07 am
It’s much easier on the west side of the stadium, Bucswin. I wish we would get a climate controlled dome. There’d be a whole lot less injuries of our beloved team!
May 27th, 2026 at 6:07 am
Joe … ‘Bucs are looking for roughly $1 billion from the Tampa Sports Authority for a massive renovation of The Licht House.’
Wow, talk about being caught between a rock & a hard place. Without a RayJay renovation, Bucs COULD end up moving to another city (Orlando’s licking its lips?). But a significant renovation (the stadium needs one) will be very expensive for Hillsborough County & the City of Tampa, and money’s tight everywhere.
Gut feel though is that the stadium WILL ultimately get its’ renovation, and that the ‘loser’ will be the Rays. Tampa Bay’s sports identity is much closer tied to the Bucs than it is the Rays.
May 27th, 2026 at 6:09 am
Yeah, seriously, Alan. All teams should pay for their home stadium. Cities need to stop giving tax breaks for companies to move there. It’s way out of hand and needs to STOP.
May 27th, 2026 at 6:10 am
Both teams need these, DR. And we should get money from the state to pay for them.
May 27th, 2026 at 6:28 am
Glazers can’t raise a billion of their own?
May 27th, 2026 at 6:38 am
R Munch
what in the world makes anyone think they’d be able to get more than like 12k a night in a new stadium in Tampa?
The same reason the Lightning and Panthers sellout their games, yet the Rays and Marlins struggle with attendance every year- location, location, location.
By the way, location of stadium in Montreal was the same reason the Expos moved to Washington DC.
May 27th, 2026 at 7:22 am
One duel stadium! Problem solved! You’re welcome Tampa sports fans!
May 27th, 2026 at 7:59 am
Yes please. I need to be cool and comfortable while watching the Swiss cheese defense take a large sh@t on the field.
May 27th, 2026 at 9:00 am
Which billionaires get public funds? What a joke. As corrupt as the old man in DC.
May 27th, 2026 at 9:09 am
So many retards in these comments and other platforms. The Bucs don’t own Ray Jay, the Tampa Sports Authority does. Meaning the county and city should contribute funds in addition to the team.
May 27th, 2026 at 9:11 am
The Romans could do it with the Coliseum, so can Tampa.
May 27th, 2026 at 9:47 am
Hey moron NOLE fan… if you own a building and let me take all the revenue from it and then you pay for repairs and upgrades, and you can’t sell it or change who uses it unless I say it’s okay, who wins?
The Glazers can pay for their own roof or sell. The NFL needs this massive TV market a lot more than Tampa needs them.
May 27th, 2026 at 10:07 am
You’re one of the retards I was referring to View from 132.
May 27th, 2026 at 10:35 am
I envision large beams made to look like ship masts with large muslin sheets(sails) strung between.
Stick to the pirate ship styling.
May 27th, 2026 at 11:03 am
Great! We get to pay for stadiums and streaming services. (Sarcasm, dripping with sarcasm) In a sane world, it would be one or the other. If NFL teams expect taxpayers to foot the bill for their stadiums, all games need to be on broadcast TV so all taxpayers can watch all prime time games.
May 27th, 2026 at 11:37 am
Luv my Bucs. But there is nothing like sitting on my enclosed patio with the 75 incher and speakers, watching my Bucs with a few libations. No chance of a DUI either.
May 27th, 2026 at 12:02 pm
Stop yer whining!
People pay daily for the bottomless pit that is “education.” Every year, school districts plead “More, more, MORE!” Do you really believe schools are producing smarter kids than they were 20 years ago? How much revenue are schools generating?
Then there is the homeless con. How many millions of dollars a year are wasted on that racket? You could clean up the homeless in one night. Each bum gets a choice of four: jail, drug rehab, mental institution or a shelter.
How many jobs are the homeless creating?
Dog parks. You mean a dog can’t find a place to take a dump without a dog park? It can’t find a tree or a stop sign to take a leak at without a dog park? Can’t find a puddle of water to lap up without a faucet at a dog park?
Bike lanes. All those friggin things are good for is tying up traffic. What assets!
That dumb Dali museum. How many people are crying about that? It cost millions to build. How many of you guys have ever been there? None? Figured. Where is your selective outrage about that?
At least with an almost-new and a new Bucs and Rays stadiums, they bring jobs and revenue and indirectly things all residents can enjoy like concerts, Final Fours, you name it.
You can drive yourself nuts looking for waste. If your county/city is going to “waste” millions, at least build something all residents can and will enjoy. If you want to live in Punta Gorda where there are no stadiums or arenas or teams and your idea of recreation and a good time is counting cockroaches, then move to Punta Gorda.
May 27th, 2026 at 12:25 pm
$1 billion seems like an awful lot just to add shade. Couldn’t they just build a new stadium for double that?
May 27th, 2026 at 12:26 pm
Jimmy…I don’t say this to people very often…but you are a bigoted idiot.
May 27th, 2026 at 12:29 pm
Northern stadiums have the benefit of cooler weather. In Tampa you get the heat, the storms…Florida and Texas teams need a dome.
May 27th, 2026 at 4:36 pm
@Jimmy – whoa dude. That’s a bridge too far. Wow. And somehow my post gets moderated every time? Cringe. What else that’s not being mentioned is only a 5 year extension on the lease. 5 years. The Glazers are a rip off family. No more corporate welfare for billionaires.
-David
May 27th, 2026 at 4:40 pm
I was a season ticket holder for 4 years, the last was in the Hyundai Club.
The Hyundai club was actually the worst experience, as people behaved homeless in there for hot games and like refugees stuck in an airport during rain delays.
The only way I’d attend pre-December again is a full dome (not that anyone, including the Bucs, care if I attend games or not).
May 27th, 2026 at 4:48 pm
I almost perished at the Jets game last year. I pledged to never do a 1:00 game before Thanksgiving again. I couldn’t even imagine being a player wearing a helmet and pads in that. I nearly died drinking $18 Miller Light tall cans. Its brutal. Im all shade!
May 27th, 2026 at 8:55 pm
Who has that kind of money? Not tampa
May 27th, 2026 at 9:35 pm
Jimmy for the selfish win telling us exactly who he cares for.
Himself. Wow man.
May 28th, 2026 at 12:04 am
Alanbucsfan Says:
May 27th, 2026 at 6:38 am
R Munch
what in the world makes anyone think they’d be able to get more than like 12k a night in a new stadium in Tampa?
The same reason the Lightning and Panthers sellout their games, yet the Rays and Marlins struggle with attendance every year- location, location, location.
————–
The Miami Panthers arena is out in the Everglades, not near anything.
And, as I pointed out, the Lightning in the Trop had no issues drawing a crowd, and neither did the Tampa Bay Storm.
The reason the Marlins and Rays both struggle with attendance is all about the sport – it’s baseball. It’s dull, boring, uninteresting, etc etc etc. It’s a game played in 3rd world nations, and in 3rd world cities like Cleveland and Cincinnati.
May 28th, 2026 at 1:41 am
How about ac
May 28th, 2026 at 7:56 am
IN RESPONSE TO ROB MUNCH SAYS:
If the Bucs have 9 home games and sellout, there might be 600,000 per year with 25% or more being fans of the visiting team.
The Rays have 81 home games per year. A new stadium would easily draw over 1,000,000 fans per year. And, it will be a better venue for concerts, etc. . . .
Over the last 10 years, the Rays rank #6 in winning percentage, the Bucs Rank 13th. Over the last 20 years, the Rays rank #6 and the Bucs rank 25th.
I hope both stadiums are funded. The bigger economic impact would come from the Rays and the surrounding development.
May 28th, 2026 at 10:17 am
As long as another city’s residents are willing to pay for a pro-sports team to reside in their city, then the current NFL cities are going to have to choose if keeping the team and all that comes with that is worth it.
The residents of San Diego voted against paying towards a new stadium and the team left. That was their choice.
Residents of Hillsborough County voted in 1996 for a 0.005% sales tax increase to help fund the stadium in exchange for a 30 year obligation from the team to stay put.
As long as another city’s residents are willing to fund a modern stadium with tax dollars, current NFL cities will continue to choose whether or not keeping their team is worth it.
May 29th, 2026 at 9:43 am
Maybe I’m crazy, but if we’re going to commit to building a new stadium in Tampa, let’s just build one new stadium in Tampa and not build one while refurbishing the other.
Build a retractable roof stadium and let us be done with all of this nonsense.
I’m a Bucs fan first but, if I’m being honest, I’ll never forgive the Glazers if their demands for the Bucs cost the area the Rays.
May 30th, 2026 at 3:56 am
There’s plenty of money to go around as long as both team owners put up their fair share