Fresh off their first USL Super League championship, the Tampa Bay Sun are setting their sights on a new goal — a permanent waterfront stadium in Ybor City.
Team officials, in partnership with Tampa developer Darryl Shaw, announced plans Tuesday to build a $200 million, 15,000-seat stadium along the Ybor Harbor. The venue would serve as the home for the women’s professional soccer team and anchor a sweeping 33-acre mixed-use district now under development.
The proposed stadium would rise within Ybor Harbor, a major project led by Shaw that will feature restaurants, residential space, retail, a boutique hotel, and multiple office towers. The complex will also house the national headquarters of the United Soccer League (USL), which is based in Tampa Bay and employs over 120 people.
Developers plan to fund the stadium through a public-private partnership. Once complete, the venue would host year-round sports, concerts, festivals, and community events. Organizers say it could also accommodate select international and U.S. National Team matches for both men’s and women’s soccer.
“The vision for a new Tampa Bay Sun FC stadium is rooted in creating opportunity, celebrating excellence, and laying down a cornerstone for Ybor City’s continued revitalization,” said Darryl Shaw, majority owner of Tampa Bay Sun FC and master developer of Ybor Harbor in a press release. “We believe in the power of sport to inspire, unite, and drive meaningful change. By anchoring this historic neighborhood with a vibrant home for women’s professional soccer, we’re investing in our city’s future and honoring the community that makes it thrive.”
The Tampa Bay Sun are one of eight founding clubs in the USL Super League, which launched in 2024 as a sanctioned First Division women’s league. Super League matches stream nationwide on NBC’s Peacock and reach audiences across Europe, Latin America, Canada, and the Caribbean — offering the region major visibility on a global stage.
With 38 professional men’s teams and a new top-tier men’s league launching in 2028, the USL is now the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in North America. The stadium project marks another milestone in Tampa Bay’s growing influence in the world of professional soccer.
