A confirmation that Tampa will host the 2029 College Football Playoff National Championship appears to be at hand.
A media advisory issued Monday invites reporters to a “major event announcement” on Wednesday at Raymond James Stadium.
Although the advisory doesn’t specify the topic, multiple outlets — including Action Network’s Brett McMurphy and the Dallas Morning News — reported in January that Tampa had been selected to replace Arlington, Texas, as host of the 2029 game.
If confirmed, the announcement would mark Tampa’s second time hosting the CFP final. Raymond James Stadium staged the game in 2017, when Clemson defeated Alabama.
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According to the media advisory, local officials and sports leaders slated to attend include Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, Tampa Sports Authority CEO Eric Hart and Visit Tampa Bay CEO Santiago Corrado.
Also scheduled to attend is the new University of South Florida CEO of Athletics, Rob Higgins, who spent two decades leading the sports commission, where he led efforts to lure multiple major sports events to Tampa, including two Super Bowls and the 2017 CFP finale.
According to Visit Tampa Bay, the 2017 game and lead-up events brought the area an economic impact of $273.6 million, including $120 million in direct spending. The stadium was expanded from its typical 65,667 seats to hold a sellout crowd of 74,512 for the game.
According to the Dallas Morning News, North Texas withdrew its bid because a renovation of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas would not be completed in time. That venue typically anchors activities surrounding such events.
The Texas Legislature was also in the process of changing its events trust fund at the time of the bid review process, which could have impacted the funding allocated for the game, the Morning News reported in January.
On Oct. 1, the CFP announced that New Orleans will host the 2028 title game. Las Vegas will stage the championship this January. Miami is slated to host the game in 2030.
The Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington hasn’t hosted a CFP championship since January 2015, the CFP's first year.
