The WWE ThunderDome is heading to the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida.
WWE officially announced today that its new ThunderDome residence at the Yuengling Center will begin with the post-WrestleMania 37 edition of RAW on the USA Network on Monday, April 12.
“WWE is very proud to provide our fans and network partners with cutting edge production and one of the most interactive atmospheres on all television every week,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE Chief Executive and Producer, Global Television Production. “We look forward to the next iteration of WWE ThunderDome at Yuengling Center as we continue to take the fan experience to a whole new level.”
It was noted that more than 650,000 fans have signed up for the WWE ThunderDome crowds since last August.
WWE confirmed that they will continue to record in closed sets at the Yuengling Center, with COVID-19 protocols in place for talent, staff and employees.
There is no word yet on how long the residency at the Yuengling Center will last. WWE’s first ThunderDome residency was at the Amway Center in Orlando, which began last August. They then moved to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on December 11. The Yuengling Center will be the third site for the ThunderDome of the COVID-19 era.
The Yuengling Center is located on the University of South Florida campus in Tampa, and was once known as the University of South Florida Sun Dome. The site has a capacity of 10,411 when there are no COVID-19 protocols in place. The University of South Florida currently has three teams that house the Yuengling Center – the South Florida Bulls men’s basketball team, the South Florida Bulls women’s basketball team and the South Florida Bulls women’s volleyball team. Teams are not playing due to the pandemic, so games will not be a problem for WWE.
WWE ran the Yuengling Center for many years, before there were any bigger options in the area. The 1995 Royal Rumble pay-per-view was performed in the arena, along with the Saturday Night Main Event in December 1985 and the SNME in December 1988. WWE would have a small change from Tropicana Field to Yuengling Center, as the journey takes about 30 minutes. It was reported that WWE wanted to keep the ThunderDome in or near the Tampa area.
WWE will end its residency at Tropicana Field with the next recordings going to WrestleMania 37 Week. You can click here for details on the final events at Tropicana Field.
Stay tuned for more information about WWE ThunderDome at Yuengling Center. Below is the full WWE announcement issued to us today:
WWE® THUNDERDOME ™ TAKES THE CENTER OF YUENGLING
STAMFORD, Connecticut, March 24, 2021 –WWE® (NYSE: WWE) will bring its world-class viewing experience, WWE ThunderDome, to Yuengling Center while staying in Tampa with a new home starting with Monday Night Raw® on April 12 at 8 pm Eastern Time on the USA Network.
The move to Yuengling Center continues WWE’s longstanding relationship with the state of Florida and marks the next phase of the WWE ThunderDome, which was critically acclaimed last August at the Amway Center in Orlando and has continued for the past four months at Tropicana Field in Tampa. The Yuengling Center is on the campus of one of Florida’s largest universities, the University of South Florida.
Featuring a state-of-the-art set, video cards, pyrotechnics, lasers, cutting-edge graphics and drone cameras, the WWE ThunderDome offers an engaging viewing atmosphere and virtually brings thousands of fans into the arena through live video, in conjunction with Famous Group and its proprietary technology, for all Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown® and WWE pay-per-view events. WWE ThunderDome received top honors at last year’s Sportel Award for Best Virtual Fan Experience.
“WWE has always been a highlight in our mix of events and bringing this world-class residence to the Yuengling Center only strengthens our relationship,” said Kevin Preast, executive vice president of event management at Vinik Sports Group. “Hosting the WWE ThunderDome is another step towards a full return on hosting more events in the area.”
“WWE is very proud to provide our fans and network partners with cutting edge production and one of the most interactive atmospheres on all television every week,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE Chief Executive and Producer, Global Television Production. “We look forward to the next iteration of WWE ThunderDome at Yuengling Center as we continue to take the fan experience to a whole new level.”
To date, more than 650,000 fans from around the world have signed up to be part of the WWE ThunderDome. Fans can sign up for their virtual seat to be part of upcoming WWE programs via www.WWEThunderDome.com or on the WWE Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages.
The Raw, SmackDown and pay-per-view programming will be produced at the Yuengling Center in closed sets with only the essential staff present. WWE will continue to administer its health and safety protocols for talent, crew and employees in conjunction with each production, including PCR-19 PCR testing, social detachment and wearing masks.