As Vice President of Stadium Operations for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Micah J. Day is well aware of how fortunate he is. Only 32 other professionals have been given such a responsibility in the NFL.
Thus, Day brings a humble approach to his work with the Bucs and embraces what he calls a “commitment to excellence.” Elaborating on that “commitment,” he noted that “the team’s success in providing exceptional game-day experiences reflects our dedication to operational precision and innovative customer engagement strategies.”
Day’s “commitment” also extends beyond the franchise as he serves on the Executive Board of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, where he “strategically contributes to the region’s sports legacy, drawing on experience in sports. Our collective efforts bolster Tampa Bay’s reputation as a premier sports destination. These roles synergize, allowing me to advocate for sports’ transformative power within the community while upholding the Buccaneers’ tradition of excellence.”
To learn more about Day’s unusual path, we conducted the following interview.
Question: How did you get your start in the sports industry?
Answer: Originally, I wanted to be in journalism, or sports journalism specifically. I worked at a radio station where I was a board operator for Utah Jazz games, and I covered sports for our campus newspaper in college. One day the general manager of our hockey team asked if I’d help with public relations and marketing for the team. I told him I couldn’t do that because it would create a conflict of interest in writing about the team. He said, “But we’ll pay you.” As a starving college student that was all the motivation I needed. Two weeks before the season started, the general manager abruptly quit. The coach, academic advisor, and team captain came to me and asked me to become the first student gm the team had ever had because I was already familiar with the program and they didn’t have time to find anyone else. All the sudden, I’m scheduling hotels and buses for team road trips, and coordinating the operation of a 2,000-seat hockey arena where I’m in charge of everything from ticketing to game entertainment.
Q: And stadium operations specifically?
A: Once I had my taste of collegiate hockey operations, I realized I kind of liked it and I thought I was pretty good at it too. That led me to pursue a position with the Delta Center and the Utah Jazz. I was picked up as an intern, but within six weeks of starting they offered me a full-time position. The rest is history.
Q: Tell us about your role with the Bucs?
A: I head up all stadium and facility operations from the Buccaneers side of the business. I oversee our relationship with the Tampa Sports Authority, which owns the stadium, as well as our revenue streams from our concessionaire and merchandise operations. I also have oversight of our practice facility, the Advent Health Training Center.
Q: What do you like most about your work?
A: Well, I like to say that it beats digging ditches, but I’ve actually dug a few ditches in my career as well. Working in this industry is so unique. Every game, event, season is different. For over 25 years I’ve learned something new with each and every event. I really enjoy playing the role of firefighter. I enjoy being a problem solver and finding efficient and effective solutions to challenges whether they be circumstantial, environmental, or heaven forbid at times, self-inflicted.
Q: What are the biggest challenges?
A: The biggest challenges are usually based around time and money. People ask if I’m getting any downtime or able to relax in the ‘off-season.’ There is no off=season in sports. There may be a period of time that the team isn’t playing against another team, but once the season is over, it becomes one of the busiest times of year to solve, plan for, and execute all the things that need to happen, or you want to happen before the start of the next season. Sometimes I feel like my life is not my own because I don’t have enough time to get everything done.
Q: What trends are you following closely and why?
A: Technology and shifts in generational buying habits would be the two biggest focuses right now, but also tracking what other facilities are doing around the league and world from everything to the construction down to the fan experience. From a technological perspective, frictionless technology is the future. We’re already seeing it in some venues where your biometrics or location can instantly activate your ticket, access to an area of the venue, or food and merchandise purchasing. I think we’re going to be in a place very soon where you never have to take your wallet or phone out of your pocket and you will be able to get through security, ticketing, through a concession stand, the team store, and back out the door.
