Raymond James Stadium: Fit For A Super Bowl

Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, "was built with Super Bowl in mind," said Mickey Farrell, stadium manager for the Tampa Stadium Authority. With addition of 6,300 temporary seats, it will accommodate 71,000 for Super Bowl XXXV Jan. 28.

Prior to design, much less construction, the Tampa Stadium Authority, which built the 65,300-seat stadium for the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers, consulted with major clients, explained Farrell.

"We spent from half an hour to half a day with our major tenants, the Bucs, the Tampa Bay Mutiny, the University of South Florida, Promise Keepers, concert promoters, monster trucks, and the Super Bowl," Farrell said. That was in addition to the expected conferences with the concessionaire and the scoreboard, seating and sound companies.

For Super Bowl, widened entries for access to the field for things like floats was on the wish list. "We have four float entries, 16-feet wide," Farrell said. Media locations and undeveloped areas which the NFL could build out for Super Bowl were also key.

Costs are minimal because of the pre-planning. The bill for adding the seats on the end zones, 2,500 around the famous ship in Buccaneer Cove at one end and the rest on the other, and including reinforcing the concrete slab, comes to about $175,000, Farrell said.

Super Bowl preparation began right after the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl, Farrell said. The NFL has been in the building since Jan. 2.

The only bookings prior to Super Bowl were catered events, a major category for Raymond James Stadium, which hosted 120 catered events last year, Farrell said.

The major difference between Super Bowl and a regular Bucs game, especially since the Bucs have become quite popular, is size, from the press box to staffing.

Farrell said the numbers, Super Bowl compared to Bucs, include:

• Cleaning personnel, more than 200 for Super Bowl (150 for Bucs games)

• Medical staff, 55 (34)

• Ticket takers, 80 (75)

• Systems maintenance, 30-32 (12)

• Security/ushers, 600 (300)

• Police, over 300 (over 200)

Stadium enhancements will also include expanding the club seating from 12,000 to 16,500, and additional concessions points of sale. The stadium boasts 195 suites.

Farrell said an estimated 4,000 members of the press are expected on Game Day.