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Report: Bowl game leaving Tropicana Field for Raymond James Stadium

Attendance at the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl has consistently been lackluster, so the game’s leadership has decided to move the postseason clash to a different stadium.

College football reporter Brett McMurphy broke the news that Raymond James Stadium — home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers — will host the game instead of MLB park Tropicana Field.

In 2017, the bowl attracted only 16,363 fans. The 2016 game mustered 15,717 after totaling 14,652 in 2015.

The low attendance is understandable, since the matchup often pits a pair of non-power-conference schools against each other. Mississippi State made an appearance in 2016, and the ACC is now loosely tied to the bowl.

Still, the move to Raymond James could be beneficial. The stadium already hosts the Outback Bowl and is a regular site of both national championships and Super Bowls. Perhaps the better football environment will lead to a bigger draw.

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