The home of MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays, Tropicana Field, sustained significant damage as Hurricane Milton tore through Florida on Wednesday night.
Large portions of the stadium’s fabric roof were ripped away by the Category 3 storm, and images and videos on social media showed the stadium’s interior clearly exposed through the gaps. Thankfully, no injuries were reported at the stadium, according to WFTS-TV in Tampa. The venue had been used as a shelter for first responders leading up to the storm, with rows of cots set up on the Rays’ artificial turf. However, emergency personnel were relocated on Wednesday before the storm’s arrival.
Tropicana Field’s roof, designed to endure winds up to 115 mph, could not withstand Milton’s maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, which hit about 35 miles south of the stadium. Originally opened in 1990 at a cost of $138 million, the stadium is set to be replaced by a $1.3 billion facility by the 2028 season. The Rays, who missed the MLB playoffs, are not scheduled to play at home until March 2025.
Hurricane Milton also forced the rescheduling of several sports events across Florida. An NBA preseason game between the Orlando Magic and the New Orleans Pelicans, set for Friday in Orlando, was canceled ahead of the storm’s arrival.
“There’s always something bigger than basketball, and that’s what we need to remember,” said Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley. “With families and homes being impacted, we have to stay mindful and conscious of those challenges.”
Meanwhile, the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be playing in New Orleans this weekend, with their next home game scheduled for Monday, October 21.