25 Years of "Gameday. Every Day."

By Joey Johnston

You can measure the Tampa Bay Sports Commission’s 25-year anniversary with memories:

Western Kentucky’s Ty Rogers hitting one of the most famous buzzer-beating shots in NCAA Tournament history. … The dazzling entertainment spectacle of WrestleMania. … Pat Summitt, legendary coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols, winning her final championship. … Deshaun Watson to Hunter Renfrow in the dying seconds, sending Clemson fans into euphoria and ending Alabama’s three-peat attempt. … Penn State volleyball rallying from a two-set deficit to defeat Texas while winning its third straight national title, its 102nd consecutive game and clinching the sport’s best-ever record at 38-0. … Confetti raining down on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after they became the first NFL franchise to win a Super Bowl in its home stadium.

You can quantify it with numbers:

Stretching back to 1990, more than 3-million hotel-room nights. … Nearly 7-million fans. … More than half-a-million visitors for major events. … 92-million television viewers for Super Bowl LV, which was played in a pandemic and featured free tickets for scores of healthcare workers.

You can even savor the testimonials:

UConn coach Geno Auriemma stating that Tampa should be in the permanent rotation for the Women’s Final Four. … Highly skeptical Boston College coach Jerry York wondering why the NCAA Frozen Four was in Tampa, then following the experience saying college hockey’s showcase event never had a better site. … USA Gymnastics president and CEO Li Li Leung asking when the U.S. Championships event could return before the event had even finished. … NFL commissioner Roger Goodell saying he never had seen a more inspired community response when the pandemic-laden Super Bowl LV visited Tampa Bay. … Constant praise for the walkability and accessibility of Tampa’s downtown, making for great experiences with competitors and fans alike.

But for a true foreshadowing of how the TBSC has managed to attract America’s premier professional and college events, while building ironclad relationships, becoming a hub for hosting scores of amateur and youth events and rallying civic leaders with the #TeamTampaBay battle cry, let’s return to 2007.

On the eve of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament tipping off in downtown Tampa — pure heresy for the Tobacco Road old-timers who believed upstart Florida wasn’t worthy of the league’s storied showcase event — the good times flowed during a social gathering at Dick Vitale’s home in Lakewood Ranch. ACC executives pressed the flesh with local luminaries and the heavy lifting seemed done. The mood was light.

When the party bus arrived back in Tampa, TBSC members ushered ACC officials to their hotel. A full day and night of basketball was ahead, so everyone craved some shuteye. But TBSC members made a post-midnight visit to the arena, spending hours to smooth out the air bubbles beneath the ACC logos that had been placed around the floor.

Gameday, Every Day.

It had to be perfect.

And it was.

“Tampa is a beautiful, vibrant, exciting destination and we have grown like crazy,’’ Tampa mayor Jane Castor said. “People from everywhere want to visit us and be part of it all. You can’t underestimate the value of our ability to attract great sporting events. And that is directly traced to the work of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. It has played a very key role in the growth and progress of our area.’’

When you consider the Tampa Bay area, you think about fabulous weather, the world-class beaches and the lifeline that various bodies of water provide. You ponder its history, culture and progress. You immediately notice diversity and the foods from award-winning restaurants. You are pampered by America’s best airport and a productive seaport.

And there’s a world of sports, of course. Sports of all shapes and sizes. The ultimate championships that put Tampa Bay on the world’s stage, along with the weekend youth tournaments that might escape mainstream notice. It’s all here.

“You have to understand that a lot of communities want these events,’’ said Santiago Corrada, the president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay who serves as the ringleader for the area’s tourism and hospitality industry. “It’s extremely competitive. And when people see that this destination has hosted just about every big sporting event we’ve ever gone after, they might wonder why.

“It’s not a coincidence. When you look at the Tampa Bay Sports Commission’s history, it’s a legacy of hard work and pure grit. They put in the time. But they also have that unexpected twist and creative flair that makes their bids among the best. They have a strategy and a plan. Their ultimate success is in the execution. They know how to deliver. It’s like an athlete in the big moment. When it’s go-time, they deliver.’’

TBSC’s executive director Rob Higgins said he believes he has the nation’s most energetic, dedicated and productive staff in Jason Aughey, Claire Lessinger, Tony Diaz, Michael Farrant, Jenna Grooms, Jordyn Tramble and Jenna Moeder. That’s 80 years of combined experience at the Sports Commission alone. It’s like a team, where everyone plays a role and contributes to the common good.

“The Sports Commission is an essential part of the fabric of our community’s economic arm,’’ said Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, who was first elected in 2002. “I don’t think there’s an elected official who has worked closer with Rob and the Sports Commission, so I have seen first-hand how they go about their business. It is impressive.

“I’ve been there on the tarmac welcoming teams to our community or been out on the Starship boat as we show off our hometown to the athletes and coaches. When you see their attention to detail and their interpersonal skills, it’s a testament to how good they are. It’s certainly not the largest Sports Commission in America, but they make their resources work and get amazing results.’’

Another indicator is witnessing the work of TBSC’s Board of Directors — five dozen community leaders, representing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rays, USF, the University of Tampa, Saint Leo University, along with businesses, foundations and charitable causes throughout the area.

They are on the same page. They have the same goals. It is unity — which is a big part of any successful community.

“We have come a long, long, long way,’’ said St. Petersburg attorney Jeff Adams, past chairman of the TBSC board. “To fully know how special this is now, you need to check out our history here. It’s fascinating.’’

And at times, frustrating.

Coming Together As One

As the 1990s dawned, the Tampa Bay area already had a good reputation as a sports community. Civic leaders worked tirelessly to attract an NFL franchise, which became the Bucs, and that led to two Super Bowls into the old Tampa Stadium. Super Bowl XXV, staged during the Gulf War, needed unprecedented security measures, but it was handled seamlessly. Whitney Houston’s stirring rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner became a symbol of Tampa Bay’s confidence as host of the biggest events.

There was unrealized potential, too.

When the National Hockey League looked for expansion into Florida, Phil Esposito aligned with Tampa and successfully landed a team that became the Lightning. But there was a competing bid from a group in St. Petersburg.

The Tampa Bay area’s interminable flirtation with Major-League Baseball — which went through the rinse-repeat cycle of nearly getting the Twins, White Sox, Mariners and Giants to move, only to have each franchise secure a better deal in their existing market — finally saw light at the end of the tunnel when the National League voted to expand.

But Tampa and St. Petersburg were viewed more as competitors than allies, continuing a political climate that often saw the area’s greatest natural resource — the waters of Tampa Bay — as a dividing force, not a commonality. Miami and Denver were selected as NL expansion cities.

Somewhere in the early 1990s, USF athletic director Paul Griffin attended a meeting at Adams’ law office, along with Mike Davenport, a key player in the Pinellas Sports Commission. They were looking to attract college basketball double-headers to St. Petersburg’s Florida Suncoast Dome, which was built for baseball but had no realistic MLB prospects.

Soon, the discussion evolved: Can we bid for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four?

Talks grew serious. Leonard Levy, the godfather of Tampa Bay sports and the point man for attracting the Bucs and Super Bowls, got involved. It seemed uncharacteristic for Tampa and St. Petersburg officials to join together, but momentum grew.

At the behest of Levy and Bill Hancock, director of the Final Four, Tampa Bay officials pursued relationships with members of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee. They attended conventions and struck up conversations. Sure enough, several committee members said they loved Tampa Bay and many had vacationed there frequently.

In 1993, Tampa Bay was awarded the 1999 Men’s Final Four, which was a shocker and a wake-up call for what could happen when the area harnessed its resources and actually worked together.

It made sense to move forward with a singular sports commission, but political entanglements and turf wars kept that process at a snail’s pace. Officially, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission became an entity in 1997, just in time to enter the bidding for the Women’s Final Four, a rapidly growing event that seemed like a perfect fit for the Ice Palace (now Amalie Arena), still a new facility in downtown Tampa.

With a bit of swagger, Tampa Bay stepped forward.

It was not selected as a finalist.

There were starts and stops along the way. A couple of executive directors had come and gone. The TBSC’s board of directors braintrust — Adams, WFLA-TV’s Paul Catoe (who became head of the Tampa/Hillsborough County Convention and Visitors Association) and Tampa Bay Lightning executive Ron Campbell — were charged with finding a leader to bring stability, organization, civic pride and the aggressive pursuit of events to Tampa Bay.

They focused on Higgins, a fast-rising facilities director at USF. He was 25. But his youth hardly seemed like a factor when they dug deeper. USF basketball coach Seth Greenberg, who had a teenage Higgins as his top manager, point blank told Catoe to hire him because “in a few years, we’re all going to be working for Rob Higgins.’’

Catoe took notice.

“We could see that Rob knew how to put together business models and make things work financially,’’ Catoe said. “He had a great marketing mind. He knew how to promote. He loved his hometown. And he already had an amazing list of contacts. He knew people and knew how to get to know the right people.’’

“Rob was a self-starter who understood how you play on the big stage, but also he knew the value of attracting all sorts of events to our community,’’ Campbell said. “He was on his game during the interview and you just knew he was a guy who could build consensus and bring a lot of factions together. He just instinctively understood that. And that, I felt, was what we really needed around here.’’

Adams helped to set the tone for other areas that were needed.

“At the time, I think it was just Rob Higgins and Jason Aughey in the office, so it was very much just starting out,’’ Adams said. “I didn’t think it should be an operation where you wore golf shirts and jeans. This was wearing suits to the office, really grinding with some work ethic.

“We had to set some standards. Just because somebody else does things to a level they think is appropriate … look, ‘appropriate’ is not our standard. To play with the big boys, you have to work and you have to work smart. When everybody else is digging into the shrimp cocktail, we have to be getting to know people and building relationships like Leonard (Levy) taught us.’’

From the beginning, the TBSC formed bonds with the ACC and SEC. Now the NCAA, NFL, NHL, USA Gymnastics and even the WWE are on the short list of lifelong friends.

“They just know what they’re doing,’’ Leung said. “They have experience in so many areas and they know what works.’’

“Tampa Bay does it right,’’ SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said. “The Sports Commission is a true partner.’’

A Creative Approach

The TBSC has branched off into other areas beyond bidding for events and managing them.

It originated the Tampa Bay Sneaker Soiree — where everyone wears suits and dresses with sneakers — a social gathering of all of the area’s sports entities and personalities. It includes an award-show format to recognize the area’s achievers in sports business and marketing, along with notable athletes, teams and philanthropists. It usually offers a rare opportunity for the coaches, general managers and owners of the area’s professional franchises to interact in a town-hall setting.

In 2008, it held the inaugural Beyond the Baseline event as part of the NCAA Women’s Final Four. Now the NCAA has made it a regular part of the Women’s Final Four ancillary events. A variation of Beyond the Baseline — bringing together key stakeholders to discuss issues surrounding sports — has been part of TBSC’s major events. More than 1,000 women have participated. 

In 2011, Replay Tampa Bay started in conjunction with Elder Automotive and the Tampa Bay Bucs. It supplies youth organizations with new or gently used sporting goods. All of the professional franchises and USF are part of the program. More than 9,000 items have been collected and distributed since the program’s inception.

The Tournament SportsPlex of Tampa, which opened in 2018, has been a real game-changer. The SportsPlex is constantly busy with youth/amateur events in soccer, softball and baseball.

“More than 25 years ago, our hotels experienced the positive impact of Super Bowls and Outback Bowls,’’ said Bob Morrison, executive director of the Hillsborough County Hotel and Motel Association. “Collectively, however, we knew something was missing. Our amateur athletic group footprint was not as strong as it could be, particularly when we looked at how other communities won NCAA and other amateur competitions.

“The birth and impact of the Commission on our hotels has not only cemented Tampa/Hillsborough County hotel access to the market of amateur athletic championships but also to ‘out of the box’ competitions that would have never considered our market. But thanks to the Commission, they came to the Tampa Bay area.’’

Higgins has referred to youth sports competitions as “recession-proof.’’ That means even in difficult economic times, the last thing to go in a parent’s budget is financing their children’s sports opportunities.

It might not carry the attention of a Super Bowl, but youth sports are big business.

“There’s no question that the influx of big-time sports into the Tampa Bay community has helped the remake of our downtown and helped turned us into the ultimate destination,’’ said Lanness Robinson, director of athletics for Hillsborough County Public Schools. “That’s a large impact that can’t go unnoticed. Big events put us on the map.

“But every weekend, we have smaller events in town or high-school events that really benefit our community. In my travels, when people talk about coming to Tampa, it’s for the events that don’t get national attention. But those folks stay in our hotels, eat at our restaurants and they come back to our area for vacations.’’

Each year, the TBSC sponsors a high-school football all-star game at Raymond James Stadium that has served as a launching pad for some players receiving college scholarships.

“My son, from a very young age, had a goal to play in that game,’’ Robinson said. “They’re playing best against the best in a pro stadium. It’s a memory they’ll have for a lifetime. And the beautiful thing is everyone associated with the Sports Commission understands that and knows the value of staging those events.’’

Beyond the Super Bowl, the Women’s Final Four, the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament and other mega-events, Tampa Bay is now viewed as one of America’s sports capitals and that doesn’t even begin to mention “Champa Bay’’ — the recent success of the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Rowdies.

“Tampa Bay has come of age and you can’t deny that sports has helped,’’ Catoe said. “Just look at the people who are moving here. The growth has been spectacular. Our sports help to trumpet the pride we have in this area. Just about everywhere you look, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission has been involved, so it has become one of the area’s key organizations.’’

“When you’re working with Rob, Jason, Tony, Claire, Mike, Jenna, Jordyn, Jenna and all the people who make the Sports Commission work, it’s like you’re having some Southern comfort food,’’ Adams said. “You know it’s going to be good and they make you feel good. You sleep well at night because you know they are professional and it will be done correctly. I’m grateful that we’re all working together. The walls have come down and the good times are here.’’