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TAMPA — Raymond James Stadium is already set to host the college football National Championship game in 2017, but city officials and area sports leaders had bigger goals in mind.
Those officials hoped that the two-phase, $100 million renovation project underway at the home stadium of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would land the city a Super Bowl, according to a previous Business Observer interview with Rob Higgins, executive director of the Tampa Sports Commission. Tampa was a finalist to host the game in 2019 or 2020, competing with Miami, Atlanta and New Orleans.
NFL owners voted Tuesday on the sites for the National Football League's championship game from 2019 to 2021, according to ESPN. The voting for Super Bowl LIII, to be played in 2019, went to Atlanta. The site for Super Bowl LIV in 2020 was between Tampa's Raymond James and Miami's New Miami Stadium. Miami won the vote. Los Angeles will host the game in 2021.
Despite missing out, the $100 million project will bring multiple improvements to Raymond James Stadium. Phase one of the project, which began earlier this year and will be finished prior to the 2016 season, includes renovations to the video displays, sound system and luxury suites. Two components of that phase are the Ring of Honor Club and a Hall of Fame Club. Each 9,500-square-foot VIP club will have 240 seats.
Phase two, scheduled to begin after the 2017 college football National Championship game, will include changes to the concourse, club lounges and team store. It is scheduled to be completed before the 2017 NFL season.
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