Following nearly three decades of unsuccessfully trying to gain an expansion franchise or enticing existing teams to relocate to the Tampa Bay Area, an ownership group led by Vince Naimoli was approved on March 9, 1995.
Nakon gotovo tri desetljeća neuspješno pokušavajući sastaviti novu momčad ili privući postojeću u područje Tampa Baya, skupina vlasnika pod vodstvom Vincea Naimolija je odobrena 9. ožujka 1995.