Which NFL team was the first to play a Super Bowl in its home stadium?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the first NFL team to play a Super Bowl in its home stadium. They did so in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on February 7, 2021.

Tampa Bay defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31–9, becoming the first team to reach and win the championship game on its own regular-season field. Quarterback Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes and earned Super Bowl MVP honors, while the Buccaneers’ defense held Kansas City without a touchdown.

The achievement was unusual because the Super Bowl is treated as a neutral-site event. The host stadium is selected years in advance, and neither finalist normally plays in its usual home venue. Tampa was chosen as the site before the season, so the Buccaneers’ qualification created a historic coincidence rather than a home-field advantage built into the scheduling system.

The distinction is sometimes confused with a team playing in its home market. Earlier teams, including the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV, played near their home city but at a different stadium. Tampa Bay was the first to use its actual home stadium. COVID-19 restrictions also made Super Bowl LV one of the least-attended Super Bowls.