ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — It is a busy weekend for sports fans across the Tampa Bay area, with all four major local teams playing at home.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, and University of South Florida Bulls are all hosting games over the course of Saturday and Sunday. The schedule is expected to bring large crowds, heavy traffic, and a boost for local businesses.
WATCH Tampa Bay braces for packed sports weekend with four home teams in action
The Buccaneers will play at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday as they look for their first win of the season.
With quarterback Baker Mayfield out because of an injury, backup quarterback Jalon Daniels is set to make his first start. Daniels is an undrafted rookie from Kansas who earned the backup role after the preseason.
Head coach Todd Bowles said Daniels has prepared for the opportunity.
“It's really just the film work, you know. He's got to get ready mentally and like I told him, he's been playing football his whole life. This is not a new thing for him,” Bowles said.
Saturday is expected to be especially busy around the region.
The USF Bulls will try to improve to 5-0 when they face Temple at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday night.
The Lightning will play their home opener at Benchmark International Arena after opening the season with a loss to the New York Rangers.
The Rays also return to postseason action at Tropicana Field, where they will face the New York Yankees in a playoff matchup expected to draw significant attention.
Many fans are optimistic about the Rays' chances.
“The Yankees are a good team, you know, worthy of respect, but I think the Rays got it. Yeah, we've had a great season so far, so I'm pretty confident,” Rays fan Joe Schmidt said.
Others expressed confidence that Tampa Bay can overcome its division rival.
“Beat them. They can beat the Yankees, no problem,” Rays fan Ralph Jordan said.
The packed sports schedule is expected to create traffic challenges around Tropicana Field, downtown Tampa and the Raymond James Stadium area near Himes Avenue and Dale Mabry Highway.
The influx of fans is also expected to benefit restaurants, bars and other businesses in both Tampa and St. Petersburg as visitors travel to the area for the games.
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