People type tampa stadium, stadium Tampa FL, Tampa Florida stadium and stadium in Tampa, and those searches do not all point at one building. When I was sorting this out, I only kept venues that genuinely tie to the phrase. There are three buildings that get lumped together, and one of them is not even in Tampa. This guide separates them, then spends most of its time on the one most people mean: Raymond James Stadium.

Last updated: November 2, 2026

Which stadium do you mean?

Here is the short version, matched by ticket type:

  • Buccaneers, USF Bulls football, a bowl game or a stadium concert: Raymond James Stadium, 4201 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33607.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning: Benchmark International Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602. It is an arena, not a stadium, and plenty of people still call it by its old name.
  • Tampa Bay Rays: Tropicana Field, 1 Tropicana Dr, St. Petersburg, FL 33705. That is St. Petersburg, not Tampa.

The Tampa Sports Authority is the landlord for the football stadium, the arena and George M. Steinbrenner Field, according to the stadium's own A-to-Z guide. Those are three different pieces of ground, and Steinbrenner Field matters mostly because it doubles as a rideshare staging lot for stadium events. My rule of thumb: match the team first, then the city, then the lot. Dale Mabry, Channelside and Tropicana Drive are three different trips. For a visual on how far apart they sit, our Tampa map helps.

Raymond James Stadium: the Tampa stadium for football

Raymond James Stadium, nicknamed Ray Jay, is the building most people mean when they say the Tampa stadium. USF athletics says it has been the Bulls' home since 1998, describes it as a roughly 65,000-seat stadium, and notes it is also home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The stadium first welcomed fans on September 20, 1998. If you want the team side of the story, start with our page on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Beyond the two football tenants, USF names the annual ReliaQuest Bowl and Gasparilla Bowl, concerts and WrestleMania among its events. The stadium's own guide also lists Monster Jam.

Super Bowls and big games

USF's list of major games hosted here:

  • Super Bowl XXXV (2001), Ravens and Giants
  • Super Bowl XLIII (2009), Steelers and Cardinals
  • Super Bowl LV (2021), Chiefs and Buccaneers
  • The 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship, Clemson over Alabama

That is USF's account of the history; I took it as published rather than checking each game myself.

The pirate ship

The landmark everyone mentions is the replica pirate ship in the north end zone. USF describes it as a roughly 103-foot-long replica of an early 1800s pirate ship, set among end-zone pavilions and palm trees. The stadium's guide adds that it was built in 1998, is owned by the Buccaneers, is closed to the public during events, and fires cannons at Buccaneers games. It can be rented on non-event days through the stadium office at 813-350-6500.

Why the name is a company, not a person

The namesake is Raymond James Financial, a firm headquartered in St. Petersburg. USF says the company has held the naming rights since the stadium debuted in 1998 and continues as sponsor through the 2027 season, which USF calls the second-longest continuous active stadium naming-rights partnership in the NFL. That is USF's claim. So the dropped first name in "James Stadium Tampa" is really a financial firm across the bay, while the stadium sits on Dale Mabry.

Clubs and suites

The stadium guide's figures, which I would treat as the stadium's own claims: the Hyundai West Club at roughly 60,000 square feet and the East Club at roughly 64,000 square feet with Bar 76, named for 1976. There are 134 suites seating 8 to 36 people, and a renovation begun in 2016 was expected to exceed $180 million. Club access varies by event.

Getting there: parking, rideshare and RVs

The stadium's directions are more useful than any nickname.

Parking

All parking lots use cashless, contactless payment with major credit cards. Price varies by event, advance parking is a separate purchase, and event-day parking is first come, first served. Lot opening times are set event by event, so there is no standing clock. I am not putting a dollar figure here because there isn't one fixed number. The A-to-Z guide puts capacity at approximately 10,000 on-site spots and approximately 15,000 off-site.

Rideshare: where the cars actually go

Rideshare is where people get frustrated. For Uber and Lyft, the stadium's general directions say drop-off and pickup are both at George M. Steinbrenner Field, not a random curb on Dale Mabry. Taxi, bus and limo staging is there too. The A-to-Z guide is less uniform: it describes the mass-transit turnaround by the pedestrian bridge as the designated drop-off and says pickup may be Steinbrenner Field for major events and the mass-transit turnaround for smaller ones. Concerts and heavier-volume nights can change the pickup spot, so follow the instructions for your specific event.

The event pages I looked at show how much this varies. A USF game listed rideshare at mass transit, a Buccaneers game listed Steinbrenner Field, and a concert listed it as TBD. Go by the event page, not memory.

RVs and campers

RVs, buses and campers split by event. For Buccaneers games, use Publix Lot 14 with the entrance off MLK Blvd. For most other stadium events, use Lot 8 off Himes Ave. No overnight stays are allowed on stadium property, campers included. RV and camper passes are sold in advance for a majority of events, using the same lot split.

Bikes, ADA parking and car trouble

Bicycle racks sit in front of the chain-link area by each dock, A through D, and the stadium says it is not responsible if a bike disappears. ADA parking cannot be bought ahead; you arrive early, first come, first served, and show a valid license and identification. If your car dies in a lot, call the stadium office at 813-350-6501, pop the hood, or find an officer at a lot entrance. The assistance named is gas, lockout and a dead battery.

Decide to ride

At events that serve alcohol, the stadium runs a decide-to-ride program. Pledge as designated driver (21 or older, with a license) at a guest services booth and you get a free soft-drink coupon for permanent concession stands. The stadium says the same program can get you a discounted rideshare home. Details are at guest services.

Tickets, bags, kids and the rules to know

Mobile tickets only

Tickets to every event are on a phone only, and the stadium prefers Apple Wallet or Google Wallet with no screenshots. Each guest needs their own mobile ticket, and the A-to-Z guide suggests turning screen brightness all the way up. If a ticket will not load, the guide sends you to the ticket office.

Where is the ticket office?

Here the stadium's own wording conflicts. The A-to-Z guide says the ticket office is in the South Plaza between the Suzuki Marine gate and the Fifth Third Bank gate, next to the stadium office, open on event days only. Some event pages instead say it is between Gates C and D. I cannot tell you whether those are the same door, so check the event page for your game before you walk the plaza.

Bag policy

It is a no-bag policy for every event, with one exception: a clutch no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Lockers are on Tom McEwen Blvd south of the Suzuki Marine gate; the guide does not name the fee. Anything bigger goes back to the car.

Kids and tickets

Kid rules differ by event, which trips people up:

  • Buccaneers and Gasparilla Bowl: every age needs a ticket.
  • USF and ReliaQuest Bowl: age 3 and under free if not taking a seat.
  • Monster Jam, Supercross and some concerts: age 2 and under free if not taking a seat.

Always use the rule posted for the event you are attending.

Alcohol

The limit is two alcoholic drinks per person per purchase, none brought in or out, with 21+ ID required. Sales cut-off timing differs by stand and quarter in the stadium's guide, so I would not plan around a precise last-call.

Contacts and extras

  • Stadium office, normal hours: 813-350-6500; event days: 813-350-6501
  • Buccaneers tickets: 813-879-2827
  • USF ticket operations: 813-974-3002, or 1-800-GO-BULLS
  • Guest services text line: 813-680-2827
  • Tours: 813-350-6553
  • Wi-Fi network name: bucswifi

For anything time-sensitive, use the official stadium site and the USF Athletics site.

Why people say James Stadium Tampa

When people drop the first name, they mean Raymond James Stadium. It is genuinely in Tampa, which already separates it from the Rays' ballpark in St. Petersburg. The stadium's guide says the Buccaneers became an NFL franchise in 1976, are in the NFC South, and were Super Bowl XXXVII champions for the 2002 season. It also says Raymond James is the official investment services and financial planning provider for the Buccaneers.

Benchmark International Arena: the downtown arena people still call Amalie

The other building that gets called a stadium in Tampa is an arena. Benchmark International Arena, at 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602 (phone 813-301-6500), is home of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who the arena calls three-time Stanley Cup champions. Official features include lightning-throwing Tesla coils, an 11,000-square-foot Mich Ultra Sky Deck and a five-manual, 105-rank digital pipe organ.

The name is the confusing part. The Lightning announced on August 13, 2025, a multiyear naming-rights deal between Vinik Sports Group and Benchmark International, with the building moving on from its AMALIE Motor Oil name. The team calls Benchmark a Tampa-headquartered firm that set up its international headquarters in Tampa in 2010, says the premium club level gets renamed and the all-inclusive club experience becomes "The Mark," and says the agreement includes more than $3 million in nonprofit contributions. If your ticket says one name and a map pin says the other, trust the Channelside address. For the team itself, see our Tampa Bay Lightning page, and check the arena's official site for current event listings.

Tropicana Field: not in Tampa

Searches for stadium Tampa Florida also pull in the Rays. The club gives its ballpark as Tropicana Field, 1 Tropicana Dr, St. Petersburg, FL 33705. Rays tickets are mobile only through the MLB Ballpark app. The club's site also mentions a new ballpark, which I did not look into, so I cannot tell you anything about a replacement stadium. For the team, see our Tampa Bay Rays page and the Rays site. If a search for a "Tampa stadium" put you on a Rays page, that is the wrong city for football and Lightning plans.

Tampa stadium FAQ

Is there a separate USF stadium? No. USF athletics says the Bulls play at Raymond James Stadium, the same building as the Buccaneers. I never found a separate USF stadium address.

What is the address of the Tampa football stadium? Raymond James Stadium is at 4201 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33607.

Where do Uber and Lyft drop off at Raymond James Stadium? The stadium's directions point to George M. Steinbrenner Field as the main rideshare staging area, though some events use the mass-transit turnaround. Check the instructions for your event.

Can I bring a bag into Ray Jay? Only a clutch no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Lockers are available on Tom McEwen Blvd south of the Suzuki Marine gate.

Is the Lightning's arena a stadium? No. Benchmark International Arena, formerly known as Amalie Arena, is a downtown arena on Channelside Drive.

My take

When I lived downtown for six months, the phrase "the stadium" never meant just one place, and the same confusion catches visitors constantly. If the plan is Bucs, Bulls or a bowl, think Dale Mabry and check the rideshare pin. If it is the Lightning, think Channelside. If it is the Rays, think St. Petersburg. Match the team, then the city, then the lot, and read your specific event page before you leave.

For Single-A Yankees baseball, see the Tampa Tarpons guide.