Raymond James Stadium will receive $10.4 million in federal funding for upgrades that will help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The stadium is home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and USF football, and it is also currently scheduled to host the upcoming Super Bowl LV next February.
The funding comes from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act for COVID-19-related safety upgrades.
More than 40 modifications will include contactless bathrooms and thermal imaging at entrances, in addition to a public address system to make safety announcements in the parking lots and tell fans when they can enter the stadium, as well as touchscreen ticket scanners, and modifications to suites and the press box to allow for social distancing. The improvements will come in three phases, with the first happening immediately and the last wrapping up in December, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
Without the modifications, the stadium would not be able to meet CDC guidelines needed to open the venue, the report says.