The culmination of three years of intense research, development and construction, the $168.5 million facility
opened in September 1998 to rave reviews for its groundbreaking innovations to improve the fan experience.
After 22 years of watching Buccaneers football from bench seating at The Big Sombrero – Tampa Stadium – fans
now enjoy individual seats, measuring 19 inches to 21 inches wide and with a minimum of 32 inches from one seat
back to the next. Also featured are 12,000 Club seats, 195 suites, 20 escalators and more than 550 points of
sale for food, beverages and merchandise (that's a ratio of one concession for every 126 seats). The stadium was
financed by a combination of a half-cent sales tax for community investment purposes, a Florida sales tax rebate,
a tourist development tax and funds provided by Buccaneers owner and president Malcolm Glazer.
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