Buccaneers Will Host Super Bowl for First Time
This year, Super Bowl LV will be played on Sunday, Feb. 7. Many storylines surround the two teams involved, the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers were a team that had not made the playoffs since 2007, previously the longest drought for any team in the NFC conference. The longest playoff drought was also broken this year by the Browns, who had not made the playoffs in 18 years.
For the Buccaneers, bringing in star free agent signings like Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Ndamukong Suh have helped the team to reach the Super Bowl. However, the Bucs have also made history before the game has even started.
Tampa Bay will be the first team to ever play the Super Bowl in its own stadium. Usually, a home team is designated for the game, but for the first time in 55 years, there is a true home field advantage.
Only one team can host the championship game every year and only two teams can play in the game, so the odds of doing what the Buccaneers have done is very slim.
Additionally, being played in February, the NFL looks for teams with warm weather locations or domed stadiums to host the Super Bowl.
Miami and New Orleans lead the NFL in Super Bowls hosted with 11 and 10, respectively.
Going into the season, the Buccaneers knew their goal was winning the Lombardi Trophy. Tampa Bay had growing pains throughout the regular season, including a 38-3 beatdown at the hand of division rival New Orleans Saints.
Despite not winning its division, Tampa Bay was the fifth seed in the NFC conference and were not a popular pick to win the conference. But Brady’s heroics and the defense’s uprising has made for a playoff team that upset the Saints and Green Bay Packers en route to a Super Bowl berth.
Brady notably spent the first 20 years of his NFL career with the New England Patriots, leading a dynasty and winning six Super Bowl titles. At 43 years old he has switched conferences and has infused his new team with a winning mentality. This will be Brady’s tenth time in the Championship game, an NFL record.
Winning the Super Bowl would also make Tampa Bay the first team to ever host the Super Bowl and win it. However, the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a high-octane offense, stand in the way.
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay is the home of the Buccaneers. The stadium is no stranger to big events, already having hosted Super Bowl XXXV and Super Bowl XLIII.
Raymond James Stadium has also been the home for other big events such as the 2017 College Football National Championship Game and will be the host for WrestleMania 37 on April 10-11.
The NFL announced a limited attendance for the game with as many as 22,000 fans being allowed in. Out of that number, 7,500 will be vaccinated healthcare workers.
Win or loss, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will make history on Sunday, Feb. 7. Brady in his first year with the team, will try to lead them to a Super Bowl LV victory.
Matt Noah is a sophomore majoring in journalism. To contact him, email matthewnoah29@gmail.com.
