Team Ironmen Compete at the NXL Tampa Bay Open Inside Raymond James Stadium

Team Ironmen Compete at the NXL Tampa Bay Open Inside Raymond James Stadium

The 2026 professional paintball season kicks off in unforgettable fashion as the NXL Tampa Bay Open brings the sport to one of the most iconic venues in American sports: Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For the first time, professional paintball will take center stage inside the stadium as part of the National Xball League’s season-opening event from March 19–22, 2026.

Among the elite teams stepping onto this historic stage is Los Angeles Ironmen, one of the sport’s most storied franchises.

A Historic Setting for Paintball

The Tampa Bay Open has long been a marquee stop on the National Xball League calendar, but the 2026 edition raises the bar. For the first time, the NXL will host a full “Stadium Takeover,” bringing professional matches directly onto the field of an NFL stadium.

The day-long event features:

  • Professional and WNXL matches played inside the stadium under the lights

  • A fan zone with live entertainment and giveaways

  • The 2026 Major League Paintball Summit Awards honoring the previous season’s top players

  • 3v3 championship series and the opening Pro X-Ball matches of the season

For athletes and fans alike, the spectacle of bunkers and turf laid across the field where NFL stars compete represents a major moment for the sport.

The Ironmen Return to the Big Stage

Few teams in paintball carry the legacy of the Los Angeles Ironmen. With decades of championships and some of the most recognizable players in the game, the team enters the Tampa Bay Open ready to begin another campaign against the world’s best.

Playing inside Raymond James Stadium raises the stakes even higher. The Ironmen will be competing not just for early-season standings, but also for the opportunity to perform in front of a broader audience as paintball continues pushing toward larger venues and mainstream exposure.

Under the stadium lights, every breakout, every gunfight, and every buzzer press will echo through a venue built for the biggest moments in sports.

The Start of the 2026 Season

The NXL Tampa Bay Open marks the official start of the 2026 professional paintball season. Teams from around the world converge on Tampa to test their offseason preparation and establish early momentum in the standings.

For the Ironmen, it’s the first opportunity to show the results of months of preparation, roster chemistry, and field work.

And this year, it begins in a place few paintball players ever imagined competing: an NFL stadium.

Paintball on a Bigger Stage

The Stadium Takeover represents a significant step for the growth of professional paintball. Events like this expose the sport to new fans and demonstrate how dynamic, fast-paced, and spectator-friendly tournament paintball can be when presented on a world-class stage.

As the gates open and the turf is set, one thing is certain:

The 2026 season starts with history being made — and the Ironmen are right in the middle of it.

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