Tampa Bay Rays fans packed Tropicana Field for the team’s triumphant home opener, marking their first game back at the 35-year-old dome since Hurricane Milton tore off the roof in 2024. The return brought emotional moments for families who had waited through a season of games at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa while repairs were completed. Bryan Baker struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong as cowbells rang throughout the stands, giving the Rays a victorious homecoming.
“Dome sweet dome,” said 11-year-old Nolan Simpson, capturing the sentiment of fans who arrived hours early to watch players enter the ballpark and tailgate. Simpson received a unique excuse note for missing school, signed by players Drew Rasmussen, Johnny DeLuca, Taylor Walls and Mason Englert. “Please excuse Nolan from class today, he was attending the Chicago Cubs versus Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field,” the note reads.
“I mean, last season at Steinbrenner, games in the middle of July, it was 95 degrees out and it was still a great experience, but I’m excited to having the air conditioning,” Nolan said. The contrast between outdoor summer games and the climate-controlled dome highlighted what fans missed during their year away. Cameron Dawson echoed the emotional return, saying “Ain’t nothing better, the only thing that makes it better is my dad’s here with me.”
“As important as the outcome of the game is, the company is even more important,” Dawson said, reflecting on traditions built over years of attending games with friends and family. The current owners plan to move the team to Tampa when the lease expires after the 2028 season, but fans remain devoted to their St. Petersburg home. “Nobody loves the Rays like us,” said one fan, while another declared “I hope they never move this place.”
The venue’s baseball history traces back decades before the Rays arrived. The Florida Suncoast Dome opened in October 1990 without a baseball team, hosting concerts, sports tournaments and brief residencies by teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Arena Football League’s Tampa Bay Storm. Former St. Petersburg mayor Bob Ulrich recalls the city’s unsuccessful attempts to woo the Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins to relocate to the dome.
“[Owners] were simply money guys and knew how to turn out a product,” Ulrich said about past ownership groups. “In terms of relating to the community, I don’t think they did well at all.” Baseball finally granted the city its own expansion franchise, which debuted as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1998. Ulrich maintains that fans have consistently supported the team despite ownership challenges over the years.
The home opener represented more than just a return to familiar surroundings for the thousands in attendance. Families who maintained their traditions of tailgating and seeking autographs found renewed meaning in these rituals after months of uncertainty. The dome’s air conditioning provided relief that fans appreciated after enduring summer heat at their temporary Tampa venue.
The Rays’ lease at Tropicana Field runs through the 2028 season, setting up potential future battles over the team’s location as ownership pushes for relocation to Tampa.