$12bn NFL owners confirm meeting over using public funds to renovate three-time Super Bowl host stadium

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers want to dip into the public purse to fund a facelift for Raymond James Stadium.

MLB‘s Rays are preparing to move across the road into a brand-new home at Hillsborough College with a little help from taxpayers to cover the $2.3 billion cost.

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Their future neighbors have been closely monitoring the situation and want to get in on the action.

The Glazer family has owned the team since 1995 — before Raymond James Stadium was built.

An estimated $12 billion fortune is split equally between six siblings, but taxpayers will still be expected to help fund renovations.

Opened in 1998, Raymond James is in need of work with a price tag expected to approach $1 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 issued 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.”

Raymond James and its iconic pirate ship have hosted three Super Bowls and a fourth could be on the cards post-upgrade.

The Bucs have a January 2027 deadline to use an option to extend the lease for five more years.

Per The Times’ report, the price of an upgrade wasn’t discussed.

Raymond James was last refurbished at a cost of over than $160 million between 2016-18.

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The Glazer family paid much of the cost, with the The Tampa Sports Authority — funded by Hillsborough County — contributing $29 million.

Board member Tony Muniz asked Sports Authority CEO Eric Hart for a ballpark estimate of how much money would be sought.

“It’s a significant number on these stadiums,” Hart said. “What that number looks like, I don’t know.”

New arenas in Nashville, Buffalo and Las Vegas all cost at least $2 billion, with the Jacksonville Jaguars spending $1.4 billion on the project to transform EverBank Stadium.

“Look around the country and you can see what’s happening around in these arenas and the kind of money it’s taken to keep them state-of-the-art,” Hart added. “They’re significant, but they’re also big economic engines.”

The council is expected to pay half the cost of the Rays’ stadium and may push back on some of the Bucs’ demands.

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“We’re talking about a baseball stadium and substantially more activation and enormous footprint of other economic development opportunities that didn’t exist,” Tampa City Council chairperson Alan Clendenin said via the Times. “And we actually have a team established in the Tampa Bay area, not one that’s threatening to leave. You also don’t have to bend over and take it like the first deal.”

Bucs and Jags to play in Orlando

The work could see the Bucs relocate for a season, with Orlando’s Camping World Stadium the most likely option.

After a $400 million renovation of its own, the arena will host the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2027.

That has set up a 90-mile road trip for the Bucs — the team’s shortest journey ever.

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