NFL franchise would erode attendance at Spartans' games, potentially pushing the entire university into bankruptcy. (The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were organized in 1974 and took the field in 1976.) To the disappointment of Spartan players and coaches and the Tampa community in general, the UT Board of Trustees voted on February 20, 1975, to immediately end the football program, cancelling the already scheduled 1975 season. The Spartans played their last game on November 11, 1974, a 35–10 win over Florida A&M, though no one knew at the time that it would be their final contest. The football program finished with an all-time record of 201–160–12. Stadiums Plant Field had been built beside the Tampa Bay Hotel by Henry B. Plant in the 1890s. The stadium grandstand was large and the playing field was large enough to host a wide variety of sports and events, from auto racing to baseball and more. The hotel closed in 1930 and the University of Tampa took over the facilities in 1933. Subsequently, the Tampa Spartans' sports programs (including the football team) began using Plant Field as their home field the same year. However, the venue was shared with many other local events and activities, so the Spartans only used Plant Field for three seasons. In the 1970s, the university took ownership of Plant Field and divided up the land for use as several academic buildings and sports facilities, including smaller stadiums for the school's baseball and track programs. The last portion of the original grandstand was demolished in 2003. Phillips Field opened across the street from the University of Tampa on the west bank of the Hillsborough River on October 4, 1937. It was built on land donated by local businessman I. W. Phillips for the purpose, and the university named it in his honor. Phillips Field had wooden seating in a large horseshoe and seated a maximum of 20,000 with additional temporary seating. The Spartans used the stadium from 1937 until the first few games of the 1967 football season. Phillips Field was demolished in the early 1970s and is now the site of Tampa Preparatory School Tampa Stadium was built in 1967, and the first event at the brand-new venue was a game between the Tampa Spartans and the No.3 Tennessee Volunteers. The Spartans lost that game 38-0, but they would later enjoy much success on their last home field, whose greater