ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — This will be the first Opening Day for the Tampa Bay Rays without tens of thousands of fans inside Tropicana Field.

Even in 2020 when fans couldn’t go inside the ballpark during the pandemic, thousands still gathered outside for the rare late July Opening Day. This year, the parking lot at Tropicana Field will be quiet except for a few disaster recovery and remediation trailers.

Billie Jo Bell has had Rays season tickets since the team’s inaugural opening day on March 31, 1998. She’s never missed an Opening Day and says even though it’s at Steinbrenner Field, this year will be no different.

“It’s going to be very weird to be in someone else’s stadium with the Rays on it,” she said. “Knowing it’s not our forever home it’s just like… I don’t know.”

This year, Bell won’t be in her usual spot on the grass between Tropicana Field and Ferg's in the hours before first pitch. But, she renewed her season tickets and says while she’s not sure where her crew will tailgate or meet up before Friday’s game, she’s staying positive and looking forward to seeing the Rays take the field once again.

“It’s just so new… am I going to like it?” she said.

At Ferg’s, the hot spot for hundreds of fans to pregame Rays games, owner Mark Ferguson says he knows he will have a loyal group of St. Pete fans who will spend Opening Day there.

“A lot of them say ticket prices are too high so they’re going to come here,” he said.

Just as he has for years in a row, Ferguson is throwing an Opening Day party and preparing the same way. He’s ordered extra beer, wings and portable toilets as well as prepared his staff for the influx.

“We think we’re going to have a strong turnout because not everybody can afford to go to Tampa or wants to beat the traffic. So they’ll probably come here to watch the game… I know they’ll be here to watch the game,” he said.

As of March 28, the Rays plan to return to Tropicana Field for the start of the 2026 season. That is pending a St. Pete City Council vote set for April.