St. Petersburg Bowl 2016: What To Know Before You Go

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – For the ninth consecutive year, the St. Petersburg Bowl will bring college football post-season action to the west side of the Tampa Bay area.

This year’s game will be one of three college football games to be played in the Tampa Bay area this season, along with the 2017 Outback Bowl and the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship.

For guests coming to town for the game and for area residents, here’s what you need to know before you go to the 2016 St. Petersburg Bowl:

Date and Time

The 2016 St. Petersburg Bowl will take place Monday, Dec. 26 at 11 a.m. Official tailgate parties at neighboring Ferg’s Sports Bar and Central Avenue are set to begin at 8:30 a.m.

Location and Directions

Tropicana Field, 1 Tropicana Drive in St. Petersburg, has been the home of the St. Petersburg Bowl since the beginning. Home to Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, it’s easily recognizable from the surrounding elevated highways by its sloped dome roof.

Fans traveling southbound on I-275 from the north (Clearwater/Tampa) are encouraged to take Exit 23B (Fifth Avenue North) and continue south on 20th Street to First Avenue South or Third Avenue South. Fans traveling northbound on I-275 (Bradenton/Sarasota) are encouraged to take Exit 21 31st Street and follow 31st Street to Fifth Avenue South.

Teams

The Mississippi State Bulldogs will take on the Miami (OH) RedHawks in the 2016 St. Petersburg Bowl.

The Bulldogs are the first SEC team to play in the St. Pete Bowl, and bring with them a 5-7 record. They completed their season with a 55-20 win over rival Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. Current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott led the Bulldogs the last time Mississippi State came to Florida for a bowl game – the 2014 Capital One Orange Bowl.

The RedHawks will be the third MAC program to appear in the St. Petersburg Bowl. Miami is sporting 6-6 record coming into the bowl game, with all six wins coming in the last six games of their season. With their win over Ball State, the RedHawks became the first team in NCAA history to finish 6-6 after beginning the season with six straight loses.

Tickets

Tickets are currently on sale and are available starting at $40 for individual seats. There are two types of all-inclusive tickets available: The Party Deck Ticket ($200/person) is located directly behind the team bench, with food, beer wine and mixed drinks available. The Rays Club ($150/person) features flat-screen televisions, luxury seating and an all-inclusive buffet, beer, wine and soda.

Group tickets, VIP packages, travel packages, luxury suites and hospitality packages are available by visiting http://www.stpetersburgbowl.com/.

2016 St. Petersburg Bowl Events

Starting Thursday, Dec. 22, the St. Petersburg Bowl will host several public events for fans, including the Madeira Beach Bash, the Battle of the Bands, the Bowl Block Party and tailgating events.

Click here for more information on the 2016 St. Petersburg Bowl Events.

Official Charity

The Mike Alstott Family Foundation is the official charity of the 2016 St. Petersburg Bowl. Led by former Perdue University and Tampa Bay Buccaneers fullback Mike Alstott, the foundation works to help various agencies that support families and children in the Tampa Bay area, including All-Children’s Hospital, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Ronald McDonald House, Special Olympics and Angelus House.

For more information, visit http://www.stpetersburgbowl.com/.

Image and video via Olivia Stacey, YouTube