Suppose you are in the stands, watching an NFL game. Suddenly, you hear cannons being fired, flags being hoisted around the stadium, and the song Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me) from Pirates of the Caribbean is played. Don’t panic, please! It’s nothing else than one gimmick of the sport you will only see at the Buccaneers‘ home stadium, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The 103-foot ship is their trademark. Other things are also great. The TV screens, speakers, and everything work in synchronicity. Fans love Baker Mayfield & co. But for the NFL fans, there is something they would like to change.
With a capacity of 69,218, expandable to 75,000, the stadium saw its largest crowd ever in a CFP game. It happened in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship, which the Clemson Tigers won against the Alabama Crimson Tide. However, the NFL franchise wants its fan base to be more active, at least in the Ray Jay games. To convince them to visit the stadium to watch more, they announced Krewe cash.
Per FOX Sports‘ Greg Auman, the Bucs emailed their ticket holders, announcing that if they attend a home game, they will get $50 Krewe cash. They can use it in the season finale. They can also use it for food and drinks at the last home game. However, there are only two steps to earn it. Step 1: Attend every home game, including the preseason game against the Titans and the Bills. And Step 2: Scan at least one ticket from your Buccaneers account. The ticket must be original, not resold or forwarded. Simple.
Cool program from Bucs to incentivize fans showing up for every game: https://t.co/8CU6vt1nJO
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) May 22, 2025
Baker Mayfield and his team are counting on this crucial support from their fan bases. It’s the only way they can ensure they remain on top of the opposite team’s minds. No one would like to see again a moment like the week 5 game against the Lions, when the rival fan base can be heard taunting the home team. To do that, they announced a pilot program named Ticket Buyback, per Greg Auman.
As per the new plan, the season ticket holders can return 2 home game tickets. And they will receive credit towards the next year (2026). The purpose of this plan is to make sure that the Bucs can see their tickets go back to home fans instead of visiting ones. If you want to do it, keep checking updates as the window is open only in June. These initiatives will also help the NFC South to make its next big decision. Stay where they are or move out.
Baker Mayfield’s team is in a fix about Ray Jay
Just like the Chiefs are confused between Kansas and Missouri about the Arrowhead, the Buccaneers also have to decide before the stadium lease expires in 2028. However, by most accounts, they are going to stay put. Even if they do that, they will have to work on the stadium. A lot of different renovations have come around to other venues. It’s just keeping up pace.
Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud reported that Baker Mayfield and his team are assessing the different plans. Co-owner Joel Glazer confirmed this and said, “We’re constantly looking at the stadium, constantly looking at how we can improve it. We did stuff about six years ago, but now it’s six years later and there’s been a lot of new stadiums built, a lot of different renovations done.” That’s right!
Hillsborough County officials did not talk about any renovation plan in place. But they would also be happy, given the fans, community, and everyone associated with the plan are optimistic about it. With lots of changes happening around the league, we keep reporting all the news about your favorite superstars.
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