Sports in Tampa, Florida

Cadillac Williams of the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa is represented by teams in four major professional sports. Three play in Tampa proper, while the Tampa Bay Devil Rays of Major League Baseball play across the bay in St. Petersburg. All of the teams are considered to represent the entire Tampa Bay metropolitan area. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the area's first major franchise in 1976, and brought the area its first major sports championship at the end of the 2002 season, winning Super Bowl XXXVII. The NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning were established in 1992, and currently play their games in the St. Pete Times Forum. The team won their first Stanley Cup championship at the end of the 2003-2004 NHL season. The Devil Rays began play in 1998, but have yet to be a major contender - finishing last in the American League's East Division in seven of the eight seasons they have played. The Tampa Bay Storm play in the lesser-known Arena Football League. Originally playing in Pittsburgh, the team moved to Tampa in 1991. The Storm won their first Arena Bowl championship in 1991, and have won four subsequent championships in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 2003. Since the relocation, the Storm have qualified for the playoffs every season. Since 1997, the team has played its home games in the St. Pete Times Forum, which is located in Tampa. After the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004, a mural was commissioned by the Colonial Bank of Tampa, which hangs above its main branch at Park Tower on Kennedy Boulevard.

Tampa has hosted several franchises of other professional leagues over the years. The first of these was the Tampa Bay Rowdies, started in 1975 as an expansion franchise of the defunct North American Soccer League (NASL). They played their games at Tampa Stadium. The Rowdies won the inaugural Soccer Bowl in 1975, bringing Tampa Bay its first professional sports championship. The NASL folded in 1984, while the Rowdies continued play in other indoor soccer leagues before folding in 1993. The Tampa Bay Bandits of the defunct United States Football League (USFL) began play in 1985, and played three seasons in Tampa Stadium before the league and the team folded. Coached by Steve Spurrier, their crowd-pleasing style of play was known as "banditball". The Tampa Bay Mutiny of Major League Soccer began play at Tampa Stadium in 1996, and continued through 2001 before folding.

The Tampa Bay Area also hosts a number of Major League Baseball teams for spring training, as well as several minor league baseball teams. Playing in the spring training Florida Grapefruit League are:

• The Tampa Bay Devil Rays of Major League Baseball play spring training games at Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg
• The New York Yankees of Major League Baseball play spring training games at Legends Field in Tampa
• The Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball play spring training games at Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater
• The Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball play spring training games at Knology Park in Dunedin

And playing in the Minor League Baseball Florida State League (Single-A baseball) are:

• The Tampa Yankees: Legends Field in Tampa
• The Clearwater Threshers: Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater
• The Dunedin Blue Jays: Dunedin Stadium at Grant Field in Dunedin

College sports teams include:

• NCAA Football, Div.1, Big East : The University of South Florida Bulls: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa
• NCAA Basketball, Div. 1, Big East: The University of South Florida Bulls: The Sun Dome in Tampa

Sporting Events:

• The NCAA football Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium is held in Tampa each January.
• Three Super Bowls have been held in Tampa; who will also be hosting the Super Bowl in 2009.