A Region on the Rise
As a longtime sports fan, I know the excitement that successful teams can generate. I’ve also come to understand what they can mean to the communities they represent. That’s particularly obvious in Tampa Bay right now. The postseason-bound Tampa Bay Rays recently secured plans for a new ballpark in Tampa, establishing a long-term home for Major League Baseball in the region after nearly three decades in St. Petersburg. Here at USF Tampa, construction continues on the new on-campus stadium scheduled to open for the 2027 football season. These developments aren’t only newsworthy for sports fans. They demonstrate the larger civic, economic, and broader visibility benefits that teams and venues can bring to an area.
Bringing People Together
Sports teams, at their best, give their communities something meaningful to share. On game day, people from different backgrounds, neighborhoods, and generations get together for a common rooting interest. It’s a shared experience that creates a sense of unity and local pride that is difficult to manufacture otherwise. I love the feeling of walking into a stadium and knowing that thousands of others are there for the same reason. In Tampa Bay, our professional and college teams provide those opportunities throughout the year. They give residents reasons to gather, create traditions for families, and build connections among people who call these communities home.
Creating Economic Benefits
Economic benefits are another important part of the picture. Live sporting events bring spectators into an area. In turn, those visitors spend money on dining, lodging, retail, transportation, and entertainment. A new stadium also generates economic activity, becoming an anchor for development. The Rays’ ballpark illustrates that larger potential. The project is envisioned as a multi-purpose facility. Likewise, the USF Bulls Stadium will host other sports and events and be connected to Uptown Landing, a nearly $500-million mixed-use project. These venues will draw fans to the area, but the surrounding amenities will give them—particularly out-of-town visitors—more reasons to stay, explore, spend, and return.
Putting Tampa Bay in the Spotlight
Sports also provide a mighty platform to showcase Tampa Bay to people who may never have visited. When the Rays, Lightning, and Buccaneers appear on national broadcasts, compete in the postseason, or host major events, the region becomes part of the broader conversation. Viewers absorb images of our beaches, restaurants, attractions, businesses, and universities—the distinctive features that make us a world-class destination. And with an on-campus stadium, USF athletics can put the university and Tampa Bay in front of college-based audiences around the country. High-profile sporting events help to narrate the story of a region, portraying it in a positive light.
An Investment in Community
As I witness the growth happening in Tampa Bay, sports are a big part of the equation. Our teams help connect us to one another, generate revenue and jobs for local businesses, and provide a high-visibility platform for promoting the region beyond our backyard. The Rays’ future ballpark and USF’s new on-campus stadium are two different undertakings, but both reflect integral roles in shaping a community’s future. As a sports fan, I look forward to seeing high-level competition. As a Tampa Bay resident, I’m also interested in the ancillary benefits that will result—the sense of community, the financial boost for the economy, and a platform that promotes our region—a value far beyond the final score.