Will the Buccaneers Begin 2026 Season at Home in Raymond James Stadium?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles walks around the field during warmups prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Will the Buccaneers Begin 2026 Season at Home in Raymond James Stadium?

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By River Wells | Last updated May 9, 2026 8:00 AM ET

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The NFL has officially announced the day that it will release the schedules for all 32 teams, and that, of course, includes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But we already have a little hint as to what one game might look like for Tampa Bay.

The Bucs have been used to playing on the road to open their season over their last three campaigns. They started out on the road in 2023 against the Minnesota Vikings and played a divisional game on the road against the Atlanta Falcons to open the year in 2025, with 2024 beginning at home against the Washington Commanders. The Bucs won all three of those games — in fact, they haven't lost a home opener since 2020 — so it doesn't seem to matter where they play, but it's looking like it could be on the road this year.

The NFL's first Sunday falls on Sept. 13, and unfortunately for Tampa Bay, Raymond James Stadium is occupied that day.

Bruno Mars playing at Raymond James Stadium on opening night

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY

As FOX Sports' Greg Auman pointed out on social media, R&B star Bruno Mars is hosting a concert in Raymond James Stadium on Sept. 13, when the Bucs would potentially be home on Sunday. That would rule out a game on Sunday, so it's very likely that Tampa Bay starts its season on the road in 2026.

The 2026 NFL schedule will be out soon, but we can identify a few rare stadium conflicts where venues are already booked for big concerts:

-- Usher and Chris Brown play AT&T Stadium on Thursday/Saturday/Sunday of Week 1, so Cowboys will open the season on the road (or play…
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) May 7, 2026

That being said, there is another option. The Buccaneers could play on Monday Night Football the following Monday, and that would be the lone possibility for them to be at home in Week 1 and continue alternating starts like they have been for the past few years. This is an unlikely scenario, but it is certainly possible, as the Bucs have plenty of big-name opponents to play at home under the lights.

The Bucs will be ready for whatever, and they'll hope to continue their five-game win streak during season openers regardless of whether they're playing at home or on the road. Losing that game wouldn't be the end of the world, though — the last time the Bucs lost a season opener, they won the Super Bowl.