Sports in the Tampa Bay Area

The Tampa Bay Area is home to many sports teams and has a substantial history of sporting activity. Most of the region's professional sports franchises use the name "Tampa Bay", which is the name of a body of water, not of any city. This is to emphasize that they represent the wider metropolitan area and not a particular municipality.

Three teams compete at the major league level. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play in the National Football League (NFL), the Tampa Bay Lightning play in the National Hockey League (NHL), and the Tampa Bay Rays play in Major League Baseball (MLB). Additionally, six MLB teams hold their spring training camps in the area.

A number of minor league franchises play in the region as well, including the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League, the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the new North American Soccer League, and four minor league baseball teams competing in the Class-A Florida State League.

In intercollegiate sports, the University of South Florida Bulls compete in NCAA Division I, while Eckerd College, Saint Leo University and the University of Tampa compete in NCAA Division II.

Major pro sports

Buccaneer game action at Raymond James Stadium

Football

Main article: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Professional football first arrived in the Tampa Bay area in 1964, when the American Football League staged an exhibition game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets. Five years later, the Miami Dolphins and the Minnesota Vikings faced off in a joint AFL-NFL preseason game prior to the 1969 season, the final one before the two leagues would merge.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL began play in old Tampa Stadium in 1976 as an expansion team. After losing an NFL-record 26 straight games to begin their existence, the Bucs reached the 1979 NFC Championship game only to sink back into futility with an NFL-record 14 straight losing seasons through the 1980s and early 1990s.

The franchise's fortunes began a turnaround in the mid-90s under coach Tony Dungy, and the success continued after the team moved into newly built Raymond James Stadium in 1998. The upward trend culminated in the Bucs' first championship at the end of the 2002 season under coach Jon Gruden, when they defeated the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. The Bucs have made several playoff appearances since then but have not returned to the championship game. Lovie Smith became the Bucs' head coach after the 2013 season.

Baseball

Major League Baseball

Many attempts

Minor league, amateur, and spring training baseball have long been very popular in the Tampa Bay area. As such, a fierce cross-bay competition for a potential Major League Baseball franchise developed in the 1980s and 1990s, with Tampa and St. Petersburg each vying to bring professional baseball to town. Despite warnings from MLB that expansion was not imminent,[1] St. Pete began construction of the Florida Suncoast Dome in 1987 in the hopes of eventually landing a MLB team through expansion or relocation.

Tropicana Field (originally the "Florida Suncoast Dome")

Many teams, including the Oakland A's, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, and San Francisco Giants, considered moving to the vacant venue. Local investors actually bought part ownership of the Twins and, in another attempt, had an agreement to buy the Giants and bring them to St. Pete. However, for various reasons, all these attempts to bring major league baseball to the area fell short.[2]

Tampa Bay was rumored to be a front-runner when MLB expanded by two teams in 1991, but Miami and Denver were chosen instead.[3] Finally, in March 1995, St. Petersburg was awarded a major league expansion franchise along with Phoenix.[4]

Tampa Bay Rays
Main article: Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays began play in newly renamed Tropicana Field in 1998. The franchise struggled through its first 10 years of existence, finishing last in the American League's East Division in nine of those ten seasons. After (again) posting the worst record in baseball in 2007, however, the newly renamed "Rays" won 97 games in 2008, winning the AL East and the AL pennant to earn a berth in the 2008 World Series under manager Joe Maddon. Since 2008 inclusive, the Rays have won two AL East titles and have made 4 playoff appearances.

Spring training and minor leagues

The area has had a long association with spring training baseball. The local tradition began in 1913, when the Chicago Cubs, lured by Tampa mayor D.B. McKay's pledge to pay the team's expenses, trained at Plant Field.[5] St. Petersburg mayor Al Lang made a similar push, and in 1914, the St. Louis Browns became the first of many teams to train in St. Pete, being succeeded by the Philadelphia Phillies for 1915. The Phillies used a new facility called "Coffee Pot Bayou Park" along the city's bayfront area. In the 1940s, a small modern ballpark was built on the site. It would be christened Al Lang Field in honor of the mayor who had brought baseball to St. Petersburg.

Many major league teams have trained in the Tampa Bay area over the ensuing decades. Current members of the spring training Grapefruit League include:

The area also hosts five minor league baseball teams, all in the Class Single-A Florida State League. These teams all use stadiums also used by MLB teams for spring training. These teams are:

Historical teams

Several other local minor league teams have come and gone over the years. Notable historical teams include:

Inside the Amalie Arena during a Lightning game

Hockey

Main article: Tampa Bay Lightning

The NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning were established as an expansion franchise in 1992. They began play in the Florida State Fairgrounds' Expo Hall in Tampa, then moved across the bay to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg (which was rechristened "The Thunderdome" at the time), and finally found a permanent home ice in the new Amalie Arena (originally known as the "Ice Palace"), located in the Channelside District of downtown Tampa. The "Bolts" won their first Stanley Cup championship at the end of the 2003–04 season, defeating the Calgary Flames in seven games. After a few losing seasons, the Lightning made it back to the Eastern Conference finals in 2011 under coach Guy Boucher. They have been coached by Jon Cooper since 2013.

College sports

The Tampa Bay Area is home to four colleges and universities which compete in NCAA sports.

University of South Florida

Main article: USF Bulls
The USF Sun Dome

The University of South Florida (USF) Bulls (originally the "Golden Brahmans") compete in NCAA Division I, the highest level of college sports. USF opened in north Tampa in 1960 and started its sports program in 1965 with a men's soccer squad.[6] The school gradually added more sports in the ensuing years, including both men's and women's basketball in 1971. The hoop teams played in Curtis Hixon Hall in downtown Tampa until 1980, when the school opened the on-campus USF Sun Dome for use by its basketball, gymnastics, and volleyball teams.

USF began a football program in 1997. They played in Tampa Stadium for one season, then moved into newly built Raymond James Stadium the following year. The program competed as a Division I-AA independent during its first four seasons until 2001, when the Bulls moved up to Division I-A. They joined Conference USA in 2003, switched to the Big East Conference in 2005, and became a charter member of the American Athletic Conference in 2013.

After joining the Big East, the Bulls began a streak of six straight bowl game appearances. The 2007 season was the program's most successful so far, as the team reached as high as #2 in the BCS rankings under coach Jim Leavitt. Willie Taggart became USF's head football coach after the 2012 season.

University of Tampa

The University of Tampa has the oldest collegiate sports program in the area, dating to 1933, when the school first fielded a football team. The "Tampa U" Spartans used Plant Field for a few seasons before moving to Phillips Field for several decades. They were the first team to call Tampa Stadium home when it opened in 1967. The Spartans moved up to play NCAA Division I football and produced several NFL stars, before dropping the sport entirely after the 1974 season due to budgetary concerns.

Currently, UT competes at the NCAA Division II level in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC). UT is among the top schools in the SSC in both championships and student-athletes named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll. Spartan teams have won NCAA-II titles in men's soccer (1981, 1994 and 2001), women's soccer (2007), baseball (1992, 1993, 1998, 2006, 2007, 2013), golf (1987 and 1988), and volleyball (2006). With national championships in 2006 and 2007, the Spartan baseball team became the first team in Div. II baseball to win consecutive titles since they did it previously in 1992 and 1993. The school's basketball teams have played in the on-campus Bob Martinez Sports Center since 1984.

St. Leo University

Though Saint Leo was established as a college in 1889 and is much older than any of the other college in the Tampa Bay Area, a good portion of their early history was spent as a college preparatory school. The college was re-established in 1959. SLU teams participate as a member of the NCAA's Division II. The Lions are charter members of the Sunshine State Conference. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and tennis; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball. The baseball team calls Thomas B. Southard Stadium home. The Marion Bowman Center is used for basketball and volleyball. Marion Bowman Aquatics Center hosts the swim team. Soccer, tennis and lacrosse are also played at on-campus facilities. The golf team uses neighboring Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club as their home course.

The school mascot is a lion named Fritz and the school colors are green and gold. Red Barrett, Jim Corsi, Sankar Montoute, Bob Tewksbury and J. P. Ricciardi are all alumni of St. Leo athletics.

Eckerd College

Eckerd College is a charter member of the Sunshine State Conference (NCAA Division II) fielding 13 athletic teams in coed and women's sailing, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, baseball, volleyball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, and softball. The sailing team competes nationally as a member of the SAISA (the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association) and is a member of the ICSA (Intercollegiate Sailing Association). The college's basketball and volleyball teams play in the McArthur Center's gymnasium. Eckerd's mascot is the Triton, and the school's colors, teal, navy and black were adopted by the athletic programs in 2005; previously the school's colors had been black, red, and white.

In 2006, for the first time in the 24-year history of the Eckerd College Women's Volleyball program, the Tritons qualified for the NCAA South Region tournament. Notable baseball alumni include Steve Balboni, Bill Evers, Joe Lefebvre and Brian Sabean.

Current major sports teams

The following table shows the major professional and Division I college sports teams in the Tampa Bay area, ranked by attendance.

Club Sport League / Conference Venue (capacity) Location Attendance
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Football National Football League Raymond James Stadium (65,900) Tampa 59,659
USF Bulls football College football NCAA Div I – AAC Raymond James Stadium (65,900) Tampa 34,702
Tampa Bay Lightning Ice hockey National Hockey League Amalie Arena (19,200) Tampa 18,612
Tampa Bay Rays Baseball Major League Baseball Tropicana Field (42,735) St. Petersburg 17,857
Tampa Bay Storm Arena football Arena Football League Amalie Arena (19,500) Tampa 11,402
Tampa Bay Rowdies Soccer North American Soccer League Al Lang Stadium (7,225) St. Petersburg 4,649
USF Bulls basketball College basketball NCAA Div I – AAC USF Sun Dome (10,400) Tampa 4,406

Super Bowls, World Series, and other championship events

Other sports and events

Arena football

Main article: Tampa Bay Storm
Amalie Arena

The Tampa Bay Storm play in the Arena Football League. Originally established in Pittsburgh as the Pittsburgh Gladiators, the team moved to St. Petersburg and changed their name for the 1991 season. The newly christened Storm won their first Arena Bowl championship in their first season in the Tampa Bay Area and have been extremely successful ever since; the franchise's 5 league titles is more than any other AFL team. They have won five championships (1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, and 2003), tied with the Arizona Rattlers for the most of all Arena Football League teams.

The Storm have one of the longest associations with their market of any AFL team and enjoy strong local support. In 2010, the team's average attendance (15,237) and total attendance (121,896) were the highest in the league.[8]

The Storm's original home turf in the Tampa Bay Area was Tropicana Field, which was called "The Thunderdome" for a few years in honor of its two main tenants at the time: the Storm and the Lightning. Since 1997, the Storm has played its home games in the Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa.

Basketball

The Tampa Bay Rebels play in the Florida Basketball Association (FBA). Their home games are played at Freedom High School.

Rugby

The Tampa Bay Area has two rugby union teams that compete in the Florida Rugby Union. The Bay Area Pelicans RFC, established in 1977, play in USA Rugby Division II. The Tampa Bay Krewe, established in 1989, play in Division I and have sides in Division II and Division III as well as a women's side.

Soccer

D2 Soccer

Main article: Tampa Bay Rowdies

The Tampa Bay Rowdies are a member of the new North American Soccer League (NASL) competing in the second tier of the United States soccer pyramid. The franchise considers itself to be a continuation of the original Tampa Bay Rowdies of the old NASL and displays a star on its shield commemorating the 1975 championship. Though the owners intended to use the Rowdies name from the beginning, trademark issues forced the team to call itself FC Tampa Bay when it took the pitch as an expansion franchise of the USSF Division 2 Professional League in 2010. The team transitioned into the NASL for 2011 and finally obtained the rights to the Rowdies name for 2012.

The club played its first season in George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa before moving to St. Petersburg's Al Lang Stadium for subsequent seasons. In 2012, the Rowdies won the NASL's Soccer Bowl to claim the league championship. They have been managed by Ricky Hill since 2011.[9]

D3 Soccer

VSI Tampa Bay FC plays in the USL Pro league, which is sanctioned as a third tier or Division III Professional League by United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer), placing it under Major League Soccer (Division I) and the North American Soccer League (Division II) in the hierarchy. The club's female squad is also called VSI Tampa Bay FC, and they play in the W-League. Both teams are based in, and play their home matches in Plant City, Florida at Plant City Stadium. Another local women's squad Tampa Bay Hellenic (est. 2008) had played in the Women's Premier Soccer League, but has since merged with VSI Tampa Bay FC following the 2012 season.

D4 Soccer

The Tampa Marauders FC play in the fourth tier National Premier Soccer League. Their home games are played at Blake Stadium

Other events

Notable sporting events in the area include:

Other sports

Historical teams and venues

Demolished venues

Tampa Stadium in early 1998

Tampa Stadium

Main article: Tampa Stadium

Tampa Stadium was the first large modern sports venue in the area, holding over 73,000 fans in its final configuration. It was built in 1967 for the University of Tampa Spartans college football program with an eye toward future NFL expansion. "Tampa U" discontinued its football program in 1974, but Tampa Stadium was soon put back to use when the Tampa Bay Rowdies began play in 1975 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicked off in 1976.

In its day, the "Big Sombrero" was also home to the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL, the Tampa Bay Mutiny of MLS, and USF Bulls football. It hosted two Super Bowls and a Pro Bowl along with numerous special events and large concerts, such as a 1973 Led Zeppelin concert that broke the all-time record for the largest crowd to see a single artist[11] and a 1977 Led Zeppelin concert that was cut short by a thunderstorm, leading to an audience riot.[12]

Immediately upon buying the Buccaneers in 1995, new owner Malcolm Glazer declared Tampa Stadium inadequate and demanded that a new facility be built at public expense or he would move the team. Local governments acquiesced, raising sales taxes and constructing Raymond James Stadium directly adjacent to Tampa Stadium.[13] The Big Sombrero was demolished in 1998.

Al Lopez Field

Al Lopez Field in 1979
Main article: Al Lopez Field

Al Lopez Field was a spring training and minor league ballpark in Tampa situated at the current location of Raymond James Stadium. It was built in 1954 and named after Al Lopez, the Ybor City native who went on become Tampa's first MLB player and, eventually, a Hall of Fame manager. The ballpark was originally the spring training home of the Chicago White Sox. Coincidentally, Al Lopez became the manager of the White Sox in 1957 and spent several spring trainings at a hometown facility named after himself.

The White Sox moved out and the Cincinnati Reds moved in for 1960. The Reds would use Al Lopez Field and the adjacent training facilities (nicknamed "Redsland") as their spring home for almost 30 years. The Tampa Tarpons, the Reds' Class-A team, played in the ballpark during the summer, and several members of Cincinnati's championship-winning "Big Red Machine" such as Pete Rose. Johnny Bench, and Dave Concepción played some of their first professional baseball in Tampa.

The Reds moved to new facilities in nearby Plant City for spring training 1988. The Tarpons played one more season in the ballpark before it was torn down in 1989. To honor its still-living namesake, the city of Tampa changed the name of a nearby park from "Horizon Park" to "Al Lopez Park".[14]

Plant Field

Main article: Plant Field

Plant Field was the first large spectator sports facility in the area. It was built in 1889 by Henry B. Plant across the Hillsborough River from Tampa as part of his Tampa Bay Hotel resort. As the only facility of its kind in Central Florida, Plant Field hosted a wide variety of events, including auto and horse racing; pro, college, and high school football; and large political events. It was also the long-time location of the Florida State Fair, and the route of the Gasparilla parade would end on Plant Field's track while the fair was in session.[15]

Plant Field was the original home of the minor league Tampa Smokers, the area's first professional baseball team, and was one of the first spring training sites in Florida, hosting several different teams over the decades. During one of the earliest ballgames in April 1919, Babe Ruth reportedly hit his longest home run - a 587-foot blast that is memorialized with a historical marker at the approximate spot where it landed at the current site of the University of Tampa's school of business.[16]

The University of Tampa took over Plant Field in the early 1970s and renamed it Peppin-Rood Stadium after university benefactors. Since then, the school has built new facilities on its huge footprint, including a soccer field (Peppin Stadium), softball and baseball fields, dormitories, and other academic and athletic facilities.[17] While some of the original playing surface is still in use as part of newer venues, the last remaining portions of Plant Field's old grandstand was torn down in 2002.[18]

Phillips Field

Phillips Field was a medium-sized stadium (maximum capacity approximately 20,000) located just north of Plant Field between Cass Street and the current location of Interstate 275 on the west bank of the Hillsborough River. It served as the home for the University of Tampa's football team from 1936 to 1967 and was named after I. W. Phillips, a local businessman who donated the land to the school so that the Spartans would not have to share Plant Field.[19]

Besides "Tampa U" home games, Phillips Field occasionally hosted other football contests. It was the site of the Cigar Bowl, the area's first college bowl game, from 1946 to 1954, and the Florida Gators scheduled several home games at the facility during the 1930s and 1940s. Phillips Field was also the site of several well-attended NFL preseason contests in the mid-1960s that helped Tampa earn an eventual expansion franchise.[20] And local high school rivalry games which attracted crowds too large for the participants' smaller stadiums were played in Phillips Field until the late 1960s, when newly built Tampa Stadium took over that role.

Phillips Field could also be configured for baseball, and the Tampa Smokers of the Class C Florida International League played most of their home games there from 1946 to 1954.

When Tampa Stadium was completed in 1967, the city gave Plant Field to the University of Tampa, and Phillips Field fell into disuse. It was razed in the early 1970s, and Tampa Preparatory School and Julian Lane Riverfront Park were built at its former location.[21]

Curtis Hixon Hall

Curtis Hixon Hall in 1965
Main article: Curtis Hixon Hall

Curtis Hixon Hall was a multipurpose facility built in 1965 on the banks of the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa. Along with many concerts. conventions, and special events, Curtis Hixon Hall hosted many professional and amateur boxing and wrestling cards and served as the first home of the University of South Florida's basketball programs and a series of minor league basketball teams.

Curtis Hixon Hall was made obsolete by the construction of newer and larger facilities such as the Ice Palace (now the Amalie Arena), the Sun Dome, and the Tampa Convention Center. It was demolished in 1993 and replaced with Curtis Hixon Park. In 2010, a new Tampa Museum of Art and the Glazer Children’s Museum opened on the site of the old hall, while a redesigned Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park debuted in adjacent open space.

Bayfront Center

Main article: Bayfront Center

The Bayfront Center (also known as the Bayfront Arena) was a multipurpose facility along the shores of Tampa Bay near downtown St. Petersburg. Though a little larger than Tampa's Curtis Hixon Hall, it was built in the same year (1965) and hosted a similar mix of concerts, sports, and special events. The Tampa Bay Rowdies played most of their home indoor soccer matches in the facility during the 1980s, and a handful of minor league basketball and hockey teams also called it home. Several nationally televised wrestling and boxing events were held there, along with annual Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus TV specials. The Bayfront Center was demolished in 2004, and its former location is now the site of the Salvador Dalí Museum.

Defunct teams

Over the years, the Tampa Bay area was home to several professional sports franchises that eventually folded, including many short-lived minor league teams. Major sports teams included:

Tampa Bay Rowdies

The Tampa Bay Rowdies were the first major professional sports team in the area. As such, they were also the first pro franchise to make Tampa Stadium its home field and the first to use "Tampa Bay" in their name. They began play in 1975 as an expansion franchise of the original North American Soccer League (NASL). The Rowdies won the inaugural Soccer Bowl in 1975, bringing Tampa Bay its first professional sports championship, and were successful for most of their existence. The NASL folded in 1984, but the Rowdies continued play in other outdoor and indoor soccer leagues (usually at Tampa Stadium and St. Petersburg's Bayfront Center, respectively) before finally folding in 1993.

A new incarnation of the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the new North American Soccer League took the pitch in 2010. While a licensing dispute forced the franchise to call itself "FC Tampa Bay" for its initial two seasons, the new club used the old club's green and gold color scheme and include a star for the Rowdies' 1975 championship in their team shield[22] The team officially began using the "Rowdies" name for the 2012 season and promptly brought home the Soccer Bowl trophy that October.

Tampa Bay Bandits

Main article: Tampa Bay Bandits

The Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League (USFL) played three seasons in Tampa Stadium from 1983 to 1985. With innovative head coach Steve Spurrier and a fan-friendly atmosphere, "Banditball"'s local popularity rivaled that of the more-established Buccaneers, who were in the midst of a streak of 14 straight losing seasons during the Bandits' short existence.[23]

The USFL decided to compete directly with the NFL in 1986 by moving its season from the spring to the fall. But after the failure of an infamous lawsuit, the league folded instead. John Bassett, the principal owner of the Bandits, had opposed the USFL's strategy and planned to make the team a charter member of a new spring league.[24] However, Bassett's failing health prevented this idea from becoming reality. He died from cancer in 1986, and the Bandits would not play another down.

Tampa Bay Mutiny

Main article: Tampa Bay Mutiny

The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a charter franchise of Major League Soccer. They began play at Tampa Stadium in 1996 and were immediately successful, winning the MLS Supporters' Shield in their inaugural season behind MLS MVP Carlos Valderrama and forward Roy Lassiter, whose 27 goals in 1996 is still the MLS single-season record.

As the team transitioned into Raymond James Stadium for 1999, however, poor personnel moves (including the trading away of both Valderrama and Lassiter) led to decreased win totals which led to decreased fan support. Unable to find local buyers[25] and hampered by an unfavorable lease agreement for Raymond James Stadium,[26] the league folded the franchise in 2001.[27]

List of other defunct teams

All time pro franchises

Franchise Years Sport Venue League League Championships*
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976–present American football Raymond James Stadium National Football League 2002 (XXXVII)
Tampa Bay Lightning 1992–present Ice hockey Amalie Arena National Hockey League 2004
Tampa Bay Rays Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–2007), Tampa Bay Rays (2008–present) Baseball Tropicana Field Major League Baseball-American League 2008 (AL Pennant)
Tampa Bay Storm Pittsburgh Gladiators (1987–1990), Tampa Bay Storm (1991–present) Arena football Amalie Arena Arena Football League 1991 (V), 1993 (VII), 1995 (IX), 1996 (X), 2003 (XVII)
Tampa Bay Rowdies 2008–present Soccer Al Lang Stadium North American Soccer League 2012
Tampa Yankees 1994–present Baseball George M. Steinbrenner Field Florida State League 1994, 2001*, 2004*, 2009, 2010
Bay Area Pelicans Rugby Football Club 1977–present Rugby union Sawgrass Park USA Rugby-Florida Rugby Union The Pelicans have won the Florida Cup several times.
Tampa Bay Area Krewe Rugby Football Club 1989–present Rugby union Skyview Park USA Rugby-Florida Rugby Union Division I: Florida Cup (2010) Division II: National Champion (2010), Rugby South (2009) Division III: Florida Cup (1997, 2008, 2009, 2010)
IMG Academy Bradenton 1998–present (formed as Bradenton Academics) Soccer IMG Academy USL Premier Development League
Southwest Florida Gladiators Manasota Stars (?-?), Bradenton Gladiators (2005-2014), Southwest Florida Gladiators (2014–present) Football G.T. Bray Park Recreation Center United Football League of Florida (?-?), (unknown league) (2005-2007), Florida Football Alliance (2008–present) 2001 (UFL Championship as Manasota Stars), Alliance Bowl VIII
Tampa Bay Hellenic 2008-2012, 2014–present Soccer Ed Radice Sports Complex Women's Premier Soccer League
Tampa Bay Inferno Tampa Bay Admirals (pre-2010), Tampa Bay Pirates (2010-2011), Tampa Bay Inferno (2012–present) Skyway Park Women's American football Women's Football Alliance
Tampa Bay Rebels 2011–present Basketball Freedom High School Florida Basketball Association (2012–2014) 2012
West Coast Soldiers 2011–present Football Veterans Memorial Park United Football Federation of America
Tampa Bay Irish Sports Club 2011–present Hurling,
Camogie,
Gaelic football 		Gaelic Athletic Association Tom Mollohan Hurling Invitational (2014)
Florida Cup Gaelic Football (2013)
Tampa Marauders FC 2012–present Soccer Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex National Premier Soccer League
Tampa Mayhem 2014–present Rugby league Larry Sanders Park USA Rugby League
Tampa Bay Starfish FC 2014–present (originally St. Petersburg Starfish FC) Australian rules football United States Australian Football League
Tampa Tarpons/Bradenton Marauders Tampa Tarpons (1957-1987), Tampa White Sox (1988), Sarasota White Sox (1989–1993), Sarasota Red Sox (1994–2004), Sarasota Reds (2005–2009), Bradenton Marauders (2010–present) Baseball McKechnie Field Florida State League 1957, 1959, 1961
Lakeland Flying Tigers Lakeland Tigers (1963–2006), Lakeland Flying Tigers (2007–present) Baseball Joker Marchant Stadium Florida State League 1976, 1977, 1992, 2012
Dunedin Blue Jays 1987–present Baseball Florida Auto Exchange Stadium Florida State League 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006
Clearwater Threshers Clearwater Phillies (1985–2003), Clearwater Threshers (2004–present) Baseball Bright House Field Florida State League 1993, 2007
Sarasota Polo Club 1991–present Polo multiple ranches
Tampa Bay Tigers (It's unknown if they are the same team as the Bay Area Tigers) ?-present Football Elite Amateur Football League (former), Universal Football League (current)
Bay Area Tigers (It's unknown if they are the same team as the Tampa Bay Tigers) Bay Area Tigers (?-?), Central Florida Tigers (?-?) Football Florida Football Alliance (former)
Tampa Breeze Tampa Breeze (2009-2012), Jacksonville Breeze (2012–present) Women's 7-on-7 football Lingerie Football League (2009-2013), Legends Football League (2013-present)
Tampa Bay Patriots ?-present Football Florida Football Alliance
Tampa Bay Saints ?-present Basketball Mary Help of Christians Center Continental Basketball League (former), Florida Basketball Association (current)
St. Petersburg Sabers ?-present Football United Football Federation of America
Tampa Bay Thunder ?-present Lacrosse
Bradenton Growers 1919-1926 Baseball McKechnie Field Florida State League
Tampa Smokers 1919-1954 Baseball Plant Field Florida State League (1919-1927), Southeastern League (1929-1930), West Coast League (1932), Florida International League (1946-1954) 1920, 1925, 1946, 1949
St. Petersburg Saints 1908–1928 Baseball Coffee Pot Park Florida State League (1920-1928) 1922
St. Petersburg Saints St. Petersburg Saints (1947–1965), St. Petersburg Cardinals (1966–1996), St. Petersburg Devil Rays (1997–2000) Baseball Al Lang Field Florida International League (1947–1954), Florida State League (1955–2000) 1951, 1958, 1959, 1967, 1973, 1975, 1986, 1997
Tampa Cardinals 1926: Tampa Cardinals (game 1), Haven-Villas (game 2), St. Petersburg Cardinals (game 3-4), Lena Vistas (game 5) American football Plant Field, Adair Park, and others Independent
Haven-Villa of Winter Haven 1926 American football Winter Haven High School Independent
Tampa Rockets 1940s? Baseball Florida State Negro League
St. Petersburg Pelicans 1940s-1950s? Baseball Campbell Park Florida State Negro Baseball League
Tampa Bay Rowdies 1975-1993 Soccer North American Soccer League (1975–1984), American Indoor Soccer Association (1986–1987), American Soccer League (1988–1989), American Professional Soccer League (1990–1993) 1975, 1976, 1979-1980
Dunedin Blue Jays 1978-1979 Baseball Grant Field Florida State League
Tampa Bay Bandits 1983-1986 Football Tampa Stadium United States Football League
St. Petersburg Pelicans 1989-1990 Baseball Al Lang Stadium Senior Professional Baseball Association 1989
Bradenton Explorers 1989-1990 Baseball Jackie Robinson Ballpark Senior Professional Baseball Association
Tampa RFC ?-? Rugby Union
Tampa Bay Tritons 1994 Roller hockey Expo Hall Roller Hockey International
Tampa Bay Terror 1995-1997 Indoor soccer Bayfront Center National Professional Soccer League
Tampa Bay Cyclones Tampa Bay Cyclones(1995-1996), Jacksonville Cyclones (1996-1999) Soccer USISL Pro League (1995), USISL Select League (1996), USISL A-League (1997-1998), USL A-League (1997-1998)
Tampa Bay Mutiny 1995-2001 Soccer Raymond James Stadium Major League Soccer 1996 (Supporters' Shield)
Tampa Bay FireStix 1997-? Softball Women's Pro Fastpitch (1997-1998), Women's Professional Softball League (1998-?) 1999
Tampa Bay Xtreme (AKA Tampa Bay Extreme) 1997-2002) Soccer W-League
Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs 2000-2001 Basketball Bayfront Center Arena American Basketball Association
Tampa Bay Bulldogs ?-? Football Southeast Football League
Tampa Bay Hawks 2000-2002 Soccer Putnam Park USL Premier Development League
Florida Redbacks 2003-2014 Australian rules football United States Australian Football League-Eastern Australian Football League
Tampa Bay Strong Dogs Harlem Revs (2004), Harlem Strong Dogs (2004-2006), Tampa Bay Strong Dogs (2006) Basketball Bob Martinez Sports Center American Basketball Association
Bradenton Athletics 2004-2008 Soccer IMG Soccer Academy USL W-League
Lakeland Thunderbolts 2005-2007 Indoor Football Lakeland Center National Indoor Football League (2005-2006), American Indoor Football Association (2007)
Tampa Bay Sharks 2005-2010 Basketball Bob Martinez Sports Center Touring team (2005-2010), American Basketball Association (scheduled to begin in the 2010-2011 season but never played in any games)
Tampa Bay Elite 2005-2007 Soccer Women's Premier Soccer League
Florida Scorpions Sarasota Knights (2008), Florida Knights (2007), Florida Scorpions (2011) Football Manatee Civic Center National Indoor Football League (2008), American Professional Football League (2008, 2011)
Florida Tuskers Florida Tuskers (2009-2010), Virginia Destroyers (2011-2012) Football United Football League 2011 (As the Virginia Destroyers)
VisionPro Sports Institute Tampa Bay Football Club (Men's League) 2011-2013 Soccer Plant City Stadium USL Pro
VisionPro Sports Institute Tampa Bay Football Club (Women's League) 2011-2013 Soccer Plant City Stadium W-League
VisionPro Sports Institute Tampa Bay Football Club (PDL) 2011-2013 Soccer Plant City Stadium USL Premier Development League
Tampa Bay Curling Club (AKA Florida Curling Club) 2010-2014 Curling Independent
Florida Marine Raiders Lakeland Raiders (2012–2013), Florida Marine Raiders (2014–2015) Indoor Football Lakeland Center Ultimate Indoor Football League (2012-2013), X-League Indoor Football (2014-2015) X-Bowl I
Sarasota Thunder 2012-2013 Indoor Football Robarts Arena Ultimate Indoor Football League

See also

References

  1. ↑ Thunderdome Was Built But They Haven't Come - Orlando Sentinel
  2. ↑ Jpg=4976%2C4776597 "At Last, Tampa Bay has its baseball team" - Ocala Star-Banner (March 10, 1995)
  3. ↑ "Baseball committee picks Miami, Denver" - Sarasota Herald-Tribune, June 11, 1991
  4. ↑ History of Tampa Bay Baseball at raysbaseball.com
  5. ↑ Florida Grapefruit League history
  6. ↑ University of South Florida - Celebrating 50 Years of Success
  7. ↑ http://www.stadiumjumping.com/t.e.html#!invitational/c11xy
  8. ↑ AFL Arena Football History - Year By Year - 2010 | ArenaFan.com
  9. ↑ http://rowdiessoccer.com/index.php?id=52&newsid=3470
  10. ↑ Stadium Jumping
  11. ↑ Led Zeppelin - Official Website
  12. ↑ Led Zeppelin - Official Website
  13. ↑ Raymond James Stadium project a reminder of the Glazers' sweetheart deal | Tampa Bay Buccaneers blog: Bucs Beat | tampabay.com & St. Petersburg Times
  14. ↑ AL LOPEZ PARK Page 3
  15. ↑ Plant Field, Tampa
  16. ↑ "Babe's Longest Homer" Marker, Tampa, Florida
  17. ↑ Tampa Spartans facilities
  18. ↑ "Peppin-Rood grandstands going down in history" - St. Pete Times, May 1, 2002
  19. ↑ Interview with A.C. Howell
  20. ↑ Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen Sports - from TBO.com Blogs
  21. ↑ Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen Sports - from TBO.com Blogs
  22. ↑ FC Tampa Bay sheds ‘Rowdies’ - Tampa Bay Business Journal
  23. ↑ Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen - Tools - from TBO.com Blogs
  24. ↑ The Tampa Bay Bandits don't know where they'll play in - 06.03.85 - SI Vault
  25. ↑ "MLS fold Mutiny" - St. Pete Times
  26. ↑ "Mutiny Renews Lease" - St. Pete Times
  27. ↑ "Miami, Tampa fight to keep MLS teams" - Sports Illustrated Dec. 2001
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