Tampa Stadium — universally remembered as ‘The Big Sombrero’ — stood at 4201 N Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, Florida from 1967 to 1999, serving as the first home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the site of two Super Bowls. Its distinctive wave-shaped upper deck, added during a 1970s expansion, gave the entire bowl a wide-brimmed silhouette that became one of the most recognizable stadium profiles in American sports.
This guide covers everything searchers ask about the venue: who actually coined the ‘Big Sombrero’ nickname, every team that called it home, its full capacity history, the concerts and Super Bowls it hosted, and exactly what sits on the site today.
Quick Answer
Tampa Stadium was an open-air, 74,301-seat stadium at 4201 N Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976-1997. Nicknamed ‘The Big Sombrero’ by ESPN’s Chris Berman for its overhanging, wave-shaped upper deck, it hosted Super Bowl XVIII (1984) and Super Bowl XXV (1991) before closing in September 1998 and being demolished in April 1999. Raymond James Stadium now stands next door, with the old footprint used as event parking.
Why Was It Called ‘The Big Sombrero’?
The nickname is credited to ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman, who described the stadium’s undulating upper-deck roofline as resembling the brim of a giant sombrero. The look came directly from a mid-1970s expansion (detailed below) that enclosed the open end zones with a roofline that rose highest over the sidelines and sloped gently down toward the corners — a shape far more distinctive than the simple bowl the stadium started as in 1967.
Locally the stadium was also briefly known as Houlihan’s Stadium in the early 1990s under a short-lived naming-rights deal, but ‘The Big Sombrero’ remained the name fans actually used, and it’s still how the venue is remembered today.
Stats at a Glance
Location: 4201 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, Florida. Opened: November 4, 1967. Closed: September 13, 1998. Demolished: April 11, 1999. Original capacity: 46,481. Final capacity: 74,301. Construction cost: approximately $4.4 million. Primary tenant: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL, 1976-1997). Super Bowls hosted: Super Bowl XVIII (1984) and Super Bowl XXV (1991).
Construction and the Expansion That Created the Sombrero Look
Groundbreaking took place in October 1966, and the stadium opened just over a year later on November 4, 1967, built for roughly $4.4 million as a straightforward open-air bowl seating 46,481 — originally home to the University of Tampa Spartans, with the open end zones giving it a horseshoe shape.
The transformation into the venue everyone remembers came with a mid-1970s expansion that enclosed both end zones and added tens of thousands of seats, pushing capacity past 71,000 and eventually to a final 74,301. That project is what created the signature overhanging, wave-shaped upper deck responsible for the Big Sombrero nickname, and it was completed in time for the Buccaneers’ inaugural 1976 NFL season.
More Than the Buccaneers: Every Team That Played There
The Buccaneers are the tenant most associated with the stadium, playing every home game there from their 1976 expansion season through 1997 before moving to Raymond James Stadium. But the Big Sombrero was genuinely multi-purpose across its three decades: the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the old NASL played there through most of the late 1970s and 1980s, the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits called it home from 1983-1985, and MLS’s expansion Tampa Bay Mutiny used it from the league’s 1996 launch through 1998. The stadium also hosted University of Tampa football in its earliest years and University of South Florida football games in its final seasons.
Super Bowl XVIII and Super Bowl XXV
Tampa Stadium hosted Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984, a lopsided affair in which the Los Angeles Raiders routed the Washington Redskins 38-9. Seven years later, Super Bowl XXV on January 27, 1991 delivered the opposite kind of game: the New York Giants edged the Buffalo Bills 20-19 after Scott Norwood’s field-goal attempt sailed wide right as time expired, a finish still ranked among the most dramatic in championship history.
The stadium also hosted the 1984 USFL Championship Game, giving it a rare distinction as a venue that staged title games in two different professional football leagues.
Concerts and Other Major Events
Beyond football, the Big Sombrero was a major concert venue. On May 5, 1973, Led Zeppelin drew a crowd of nearly 57,000 — at the time the largest audience ever recorded for a single-artist performance, surpassing the mark The Beatles had set at Shea Stadium in 1965. The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and U2 also played the stadium during its run, and evangelist Billy Graham held a multi-day crusade there in 1979 that drew massive combined attendance over its run.
That mix of NFL Sundays, soccer and USFL football, stadium-scale concerts, and religious crusades is a big part of why longtime Tampa residents remember the Big Sombrero as more than just a football stadium — it was the region’s default large-event venue for over 30 years.
The Playing Surface and Open-Air Design
Tampa Stadium played on natural Bermuda grass, primarily the Tifway 419 variety, which was regularly cited by players as one of the better surfaces in the NFL during an era when many stadiums had switched to artificial turf. Because it was fully open-air with no roof or dome, games and concerts there were also known for exposing players and fans directly to Tampa’s heat, humidity, and occasional heavy rain — part of the stadium’s identity as an old-school, elements-exposed bowl rather than a modern climate-controlled facility.
Closure, Demolition, and What’s There Today
As Raymond James Stadium neared completion on an adjacent site — construction there began in October 1996 — Tampa Stadium’s days were numbered. The Buccaneers played their final game in the Big Sombrero in 1997, and the facility hosted its last event, a Tampa Bay Mutiny match, before officially closing on September 13, 1998. Demolition ran through the following months and was completed by April 11, 1999.
No structure from Tampa Stadium remains standing today. Raymond James Stadium — built on the adjacent former site of Al Lopez Field rather than directly atop the old bowl — now occupies the neighborhood, and Tampa Stadium’s cleared former footprint is used as parking and event staging for the newer venue. Fans wanting to see what stands where the Big Sombrero once roared can check current stadium and event information on the official Raymond James Stadium website.
Legacy in Tampa Bay Sports
Tampa Stadium gave Tampa Bay its first NFL franchise home, delivered two Super Bowls, hosted a USFL title game, and served as the region’s premier concert venue for three decades. Its Big Sombrero nickname outlived the building itself and remains one of the most affectionately remembered stadium identities in NFL history, still invoked whenever longtime Bucs fans talk about the franchise’s pre-Raymond James era.
Tampa Stadium (The Big Sombrero) FAQs
Why was Tampa Stadium called ‘The Big Sombrero’?
ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman coined the nickname, describing the stadium’s wave-shaped, overhanging upper deck — added during a mid-1970s expansion — as resembling the wide brim of a sombrero when viewed from outside or from the air.
What teams played at Tampa Stadium besides the Buccaneers?
The stadium was also home to the Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL soccer), the Tampa Bay Bandits (USFL, 1983-1985), the Tampa Bay Mutiny (MLS, 1996-1998), the University of Tampa Spartans in its earliest years, and University of South Florida football in its final seasons.
Which Super Bowls were played at Tampa Stadium?
Tampa Stadium hosted Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984 (Los Angeles Raiders 38, Washington Redskins 9) and Super Bowl XXV on January 27, 1991, where the New York Giants defeated the Buffalo Bills 20-19 on a missed last-second field goal.
How big was Tampa Stadium?
It opened in 1967 with 46,481 seats. A 1974-75 expansion that enclosed the end zones and created the Big Sombrero roofline pushed capacity to roughly 71,000, and it later reached a final capacity of 74,301.
When was Tampa Stadium torn down, and is anything left today?
Tampa Stadium closed on September 13, 1998, and demolition was completed by April 11, 1999. No part of the structure remains; the site is now used as parking and event staging for Raymond James Stadium, which was built on the adjacent former Al Lopez Field property.
What was the biggest concert ever held at Tampa Stadium?
Led Zeppelin’s May 5, 1973 show drew nearly 57,000 fans, which at the time was the largest audience ever recorded for a single-artist concert performance, surpassing The Beatles’ 1965 Shea Stadium record.
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