The Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl is leaving St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field after 10 years for Tampa's Raymond James Stadium, according to reports.
College football insider Brett McMurphy first reported the news.
The bowl was initially created as the St. Petersburg Bowl in 2008.
This year's contest is set for Dec. 20. Each year, the game features a team from the American Athletic Conference against either the Atlantic Coast Conference or Conference USA.
The move to Tampa could help boost attendance for the Gasparilla Bowl, which hasn't exceeded 17,000 people in the past three seasons. The capacity at Raymond James Stadium is 65,890.
In the past, the bowl was also called the magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl Presented by Beef 'O' Brady's, Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl and St. Petersburg Bowl.
Attendance by year (year in BOLD, followed by attendance):
2017 -- 16,363
2016 -- 15,717
2015 -- 14,652
2014 -- 26,675
2013 -- 20,053
2012 -- 21,759
2011 -- 20,072
2010 -- 20,017
2009 -- 28,793
2008 -- 25,505
Temple beat Florida International University 28-3 in the 2017 Gasparilla Bowl.
The addition of the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl will make Raymond James Stadium one of three venues that host multiple bowl games each year. The other two are Orlando's Camping World Stadium and New Orleans' Superdome. Raymond James Stadium also hosts the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day each year.
The bowl is owned and televised by ESPN.
Home of the Rays: Tropicana Field through the years
Mark Bergin is a digital journalist with 10News WTSP. Like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter and Instagram. You can also email him at mbergin@wtsp.com.
