• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Savannah Bananas Plan to Bring ‘Banana Ball’ to Football Stadiums

  • The popular independent baseball team features a ticket waiting list of about three million.
  • Next year’s schedule also includes 36 games to be played at Major League Baseball stadiums.
Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News

The Savannah Bananas, an independent baseball team that has become a national sensation, have always been a big-thinking organization. Now they’re thinking bigger than ever.

Loosely described as baseball’s version of the Harlem Globetrotters, the Bananas unveiled an eight-month, 111-game “World Tour” for 2025 that includes playing in football stadiums for the first time. The team has slotted dates at two NFL facilities—the Titans’ Nissan Stadium and the Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium—along with another at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. 

Those contests will be joined by two games each at 18 MLB ballparks, rising dramatically from the six games played this year at big league facilities. Overall, the heavy increase in the number of games at major league stadiums is a direct reflection of the intense fan demand to see Bananas. The team sold out every game in 2024, playing to more than one million fans—more than what MLB’s A’s drew this year—and it has a ticket waiting list of about three million, including one million that joined in a 24-hour period this week. 

The Bananas on Thursday night livestreamed the “draft” of its 2025 schedule, drawing more than 150,000 views. 

“We’ve been very fortunate to hear from nearly every MLB team [about coming to play], particularly after what we did this year,” Bananas owner Jesse Cole tells Front Office Sports. “We know we can entertain at the 45,000-seat type of scale, and now we’re taking that next big step into football stadiums.”

Nissan Stadium has a listed capacity of 69,143, while Bank of America Stadium seats 75,037, and Memorial Stadium can surpass 86,000 when including standing room. 

A Very Different Vibe

The Bananas have drawn broad acclaim for their unconventional style of play, known as “Banana Ball.” By design, the team plays a style of baseball that flouts many of the sport’s established on-field rules and traditions. “Banana Ball” includes a two-hour time limit on games, no mound visits or stepping out of the batter’s box, and no bunting. Batters have the option to steal first base, and there are defensive outs if foul balls are caught by fans.

Those modifications are complemented by a nonstop array of over-the-top in-game entertainment including choreographed dances, skits, sing-alongs, twerking umpires, trick plays, pyrotechnics, and players regularly mingling with fans—all of which become key content sources for the team’s heavily followed social media feeds. The traveling crew for most Bananas games surpasses 200 when including players, coaches, in-game entertainers, and other staff involved with staging the events.

In addition to the Bananas themselves, the team has created two opposing teams, the Party Animals and the Firefighters, and on Thursday unveiled a third, the Texas Tailgaters—each with their own unique brands and separate social-media followings. Unlike the Globetrotters, though, the game outcomes are very real, and serious competition remains a core element along with the fun.

At the football stadiums, nets will be installed along the outfield wall to keep balls in the park and account for the inability to have traditional baseball field dimensions. 

There’s already further ambition for 2026, as the Bananas will expand their operation to a six-team Banana Ball Championship League, playing competitively for a season title within its unique presentation. That league structure is designed in part to further separate the Bananas from the Globetrotters and emphasize the nonstaged results of “Banana Ball.” 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 26, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; The 2025 World Series logo on the field at Dodger Stadium.

Dodger Stadium Games Could Push MLB Payouts to Record Highs

The Dodgers’ big ballpark and ticket prices help fuel postseason player pay.
Oct 24, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho (5) celebrates after hitting a two run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning during game one of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre.

World Series Games Set Ratings Records on Canada’s Sportsnet

Canada continues to watch MLB broadcasts at historic levels.

Dodgers Depth, Blue Jays Glue Guys Are Defining the World Series

Yamamoto, Smith, and Glasnow are playing key roles for MLB’s top spenders.

Sports Equinox 2025 Shows How Fragmented Sports TV Has Become

Multiple streaming services are needed to watch Monday’s games.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.

Blue Jays’ World Series Run Is Just Part of Rogers’ Big Sports..

Buying more MLSE equity and a recapitalization of sports assets are planned.
Oct 23, 2025; Toronto, ON, Canada; Signage in place on the dug out before game one of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
October 24, 2025

World Series Viewership Will Be Different This Year

The Canadian presence in the World Series creates a unique viewership situation.
Fred Warner
October 25, 2025

Most of the 49ers’ Record Cap Number Isn’t on the Field

The 49ers are winning despite ranking 31st on spending on active players.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

Fans can now follow their favorite golfers and experience every marquee moment at the Ryder Cup — thanks to innovation from T-Mobile.
Tom Dundon
exclusive
October 22, 2025

Sale of Trail Blazers to Tom Dundon Will Take Multiple Years to..

Dundon is buying the team at a $4.25 billion valuation.
October 18, 2025

Financial Behemoth Dodgers Win NL Pennant, Eye History

The biggest spenders would be MLB’s first repeat champion in 25 years.
October 16, 2025

For Yankees, It May Be ‘Business As Usual,’ but Title Drought Lingers

GM Brian Cashman says a salary cap is not at the forefront of his mind.
Jun 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Mercedes driver George Russell (63) and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli (12) celebrate their first and third place at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
October 15, 2025

Mercedes F1 Team Rides With Russell, Antonelli Despite Verstappen Link

Russell took the Formula One seat at Mercedes in 2021.