I've covered three Banana Ball series in person, two at Riders Field in Frisco and one at Globe Life Field in Arlington, and somewhere along the way I came to love the sport. So the Selection Show was circled on my calendar.
Banana Ball released its 2027 schedule on Oct. 15 during their selection show, which aired at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN2 and the Banana Ball YouTube channel. Next season, the six-team Banana Ball Championship League will go International and play in Mexico and Canada for the first time. They also added four MLB ballparks and will debut a new format built for football stadiums.
The 2026 season, the league's first, drew more than 3.2 million fans across 45 states. It ended earlier this month with the Texas Tailgaters beating the Savannah Bananas in the first-ever Banana Bowl. Here's everything announced for 2027.
Banana Ball goes international
Banana Ball leaves the United States for the first time in 2027, and the season starts there. The Mexico Series opens the year with a Banana Bowl rematch: the Bananas face the Tailgaters at Walmart Park in Monterrey on Feb. 5–6. A week later, the Party Animals host the Loco Beach Coconuts at Toros Mobil Park in Tijuana on Feb. 12–13.
The Canada Series follows in August. The Bananas host the Indianapolis Clowns at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Aug. 14–15. Then the Party Animals host the Tailgaters in Winnipeg on Aug. 26 and 28, with games at Blue Cross Park and Princess Auto Stadium.
Banana Ball 360
The announcement I keep thinking about is Banana Ball 360. At a football stadium, two fields will be set up in opposite corners, and the teams will switch fields every inning. Wherever you're sitting, you'll get a view from behind or near home plate for part of the game.
It's a crazy idea, but crazy enough to work. Football stadiums let Banana Ball draw crowds of 40,000 or more, but a diamond tucked into one end of the stadium leaves a lot of seats far from the action. Moving the game around the stadium fixes that without shrinking the crowd.
The only Banana Ball 360 game on the 2027 schedule is June 26 at Notre Dame Stadium, with the Bananas hosting the defending champion Tailgaters. The two teams warm up for it on June 24 at Frank Eck Stadium, Notre Dame's baseball park. If it works the way it sounds, I'd expect to see it on more schedules in 2028.
New ballparks and states
The Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays join the list of MLB clubs hosting Banana Ball. Their parks are Rogers Centre, Dodger Stadium, Chase Field and Tropicana Field.
Hawaii and New Jersey also get games for the first time. That leaves Alaska, Vermont and Wyoming as the only states that haven't hosted a Banana Ball game and don't have one scheduled.
Special events
- Banana Ball Kickoff: Three days in Auburn, Ala. The Clowns face the Tailgaters at Plainsman Park on Feb. 25, the Party Animals face the Coconuts there on Feb. 26, and the Bananas face the Firefighters at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Feb. 27.
- Banana Ball Open: April 15–18 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. All six BBCL teams compete, and the winner earns a spot in the BBCL playoffs.
- Hall of Fame Series: The Clowns host the Tailgaters at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y., on May 29–30.
- BBCL Playoffs: Sept. 16–19 at Grayson Stadium in Savannah.
- Banana Bowl: Sept. 25 at New Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.
- All-Star Game and Secret Peel: Both at Grayson Stadium in Savannah, with dates to be announced.
All six teams play in February, and four of them open in Mexico.
Texas fans
This is where the schedule really delivers for us. Texas gets 22 dates in 11 cities in 2027, all of them Texas Tailgaters home games, including return trips to Riders Field and Globe Life Field. See our full breakdown of the Texas Tailgaters 2027 schedule, and our recap of the Frisco and Arlington dates.
Full 2027 Banana Ball schedule
The Home team is listed first.
February
Feb. 5–6: Walmart Park, Monterrey, Mexico: Bananas vs. Tailgaters (Mexico Series)
Feb. 12–13: Toros Mobil Park, Tijuana, Mexico: Party Animals vs. Coconuts (Mexico Series)
Feb. 25: Plainsman Park, Auburn, Ala.: Clowns vs. Tailgaters (Banana Ball Kickoff)
Feb. 26: Plainsman Park, Auburn, Ala.: Party Animals vs. Coconuts (Banana Ball Kickoff)
Feb. 27: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Ala.: Bananas vs. Firefighters (Banana Ball Kickoff)
March
March 4: Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.: Firefighters vs. Bananas
March 5–6: Momentum Bank Ballpark, Midland, Texas: Tailgaters vs. Clowns
March 5–6: VyStar Ballpark, Jacksonville, Fla.: Coconuts vs. Party Animals
March 6: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.: Firefighters vs. Bananas
March 12–13: Grayson Stadium, Savannah, Ga.: Bananas vs. Party Animals
March 12–13: Constellation Field, Sugar Land, Texas: Tailgaters vs. Coconuts
March 12–13: Regions Field, Birmingham, Ala.: Firefighters vs. Clowns
March 18–20: Grayson Stadium, Savannah, Ga.: Bananas vs. Tailgaters
March 18–20: Las Vegas Ballpark, Las Vegas: Party Animals vs. Firefighters
March 18–20: Pelicans Ballpark, Myrtle Beach, S.C.: Clowns vs. Coconuts
April
April 2–3: AutoZone Park, Memphis, Tenn.: Party Animals vs. Clowns
April 2–3: Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock, Ark.: Firefighters vs. Tailgaters
April 3–4: Petco Park, San Diego: Coconuts vs. Bananas
April 9–10: Truist Field, Charlotte, N.C.: Coconuts vs. Firefighters
April 10–11: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas: Tailgaters vs. Party Animals
April 10–11: Busch Stadium, St. Louis: Clowns vs. Bananas
April 15–18: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando, Fla. (Banana Ball Open, all six teams)
April 23–24: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles: Bananas vs. Firefighters
April 23–24: Whataburger Field, Corpus Christi, Texas: Tailgaters vs. Clowns
April 23–24: T-Mobile Park, Seattle: Party Animals vs. Coconuts
April 29–May 1: Grayson Stadium, Savannah, Ga.: Bananas vs. Tailgaters
April 30–May 1: Les Murakami Stadium, Honolulu: Coconuts vs. Party Animals
April 30–May 1: Victory Field, Indianapolis: Clowns vs. Firefighters
May
May 7–8: McLane Stadium, Waco, Texas: Tailgaters vs. Party Animals
May 7–8: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.: Coconuts vs. Bananas
May 7–8: Jefferson Park, Lehigh Valley, Pa.: Firefighters vs. Clowns
May 14–15: Chase Field, Phoenix: Bananas vs. Party Animals
May 14–15: Hodgetown, Amarillo, Texas: Tailgaters vs. Firefighters
May 14–15: Equity Bank Park, Wichita, Kan.: Clowns vs. Coconuts
May 21–22: Blue Wahoos Stadium, Pensacola, Fla.: Coconuts vs. Clowns
May 22–23: Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas: Tailgaters vs. Bananas
May 22–23: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.: Firefighters vs. Party Animals
May 28–29: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.: Firefighters vs. Bananas
May 29–30: Doubleday Field, Cooperstown, N.Y.: Clowns vs. Tailgaters (Hall of Fame Series)
May 29–30: Coors Field, Denver: Party Animals vs. Coconuts
June
June 4–5: Covenant Health Park, Knoxville, Tenn.: Tailgaters vs. Clowns
June 4–5: Target Field, Minneapolis: Party Animals vs. Firefighters
June 5–6: Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland: Coconuts vs. Bananas
June 10–11: Truist Park, Atlanta: Bananas vs. Coconuts
June 10–11: Sahlen Field, Buffalo, N.Y.: Firefighters vs. Tailgaters
June 10–11: Greater Nevada Field, Reno, Nev.: Clowns vs. Party Animals
June 18–19: Southwest University Park, El Paso, Texas: Tailgaters vs. Party Animals
June 18–19: Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, N.C.: Firefighters vs. Coconuts
June 18–19: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City: Clowns vs. Bananas
June 24: Frank Eck Stadium, Notre Dame, Ind.: Bananas vs. Tailgaters
June 25–26: Principal Park, Des Moines, Iowa: Firefighters vs. Coconuts
June 25–26: Fifth Third Park, Detroit: Clowns vs. Party Animals
June 26: Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Ind.: Bananas vs. Tailgaters (Banana Ball 360)
July
July 2–3: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore: Party Animals vs. Clowns
July 2–3: ESL Ballpark, Rochester, N.Y.: Coconuts vs. Tailgaters
July 2–3: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, Calif.: Firefighters vs. Bananas
July 9–10: Maimonides Park, Brooklyn, N.Y.: Coconuts vs. Firefighters
July 9–10: Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville, Ky.: Clowns vs. Tailgaters
July 10–11: Soldier Field, Chicago: Party Animals vs. Bananas
July 23–24: ONEOK Field, Tulsa, Okla.: Tailgaters vs. Coconuts
July 23–24: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati: Party Animals vs. Bananas
July 23–24: Route 66 Stadium, Springfield, Mo.: Firefighters vs. Clowns
July 29–31: Grayson Stadium, Savannah, Ga.: Bananas vs. Coconuts
July 30–31: Oracle Park, San Francisco: Party Animals vs. Clowns
July 30–31: Polar Park, Worcester, Mass.: Firefighters vs. Tailgaters
August
Aug. 6–7: Huntington Park, Columbus, Ohio: Party Animals vs. Tailgaters
Aug. 6–7: Day Air Ballpark, Dayton, Ohio: Coconuts vs. Firefighters
Aug. 6–7: PNC Park, Pittsburgh: Clowns vs. Bananas
Aug. 13–14: American Family Field, Milwaukee: Party Animals vs. Firefighters
Aug. 13–14: ShoreTown Ballpark, Jersey Shore, N.J.: Coconuts vs. Tailgaters
Aug. 14–15: Rogers Centre, Toronto: Bananas vs. Clowns (Canada Series)
Aug. 19–21: Grayson Stadium, Savannah, Ga.: Bananas vs. Party Animals
Aug. 20–21: Dell Diamond, Round Rock, Texas: Tailgaters vs. Firefighters
Aug. 20–21: Delta Dental Park at Hadlock Field, Portland, Maine: Coconuts vs. Clowns
Aug. 26 and 28: Blue Cross Park and Princess Auto Stadium, Winnipeg, Manitoba: Party Animals vs. Tailgaters (Canada Series)
Aug. 26–28: Grayson Stadium, Savannah, Ga.: Bananas vs. Firefighters
Aug. 27–28: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia: Clowns vs. Coconuts
September
Sept. 2–4: Grayson Stadium, Savannah, Ga.: Bananas vs. Clowns
Sept. 3–4: Riders Field, Frisco, Texas: Tailgaters vs. Coconuts
Sept. 3–4: Charles Schwab Field, Omaha, Neb.: Firefighters vs. Party Animals
Sept. 10–11: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas: Tailgaters vs. Bananas
Sept. 10–11: This Is Iowa Ballpark, Dyersville, Iowa: Clowns vs. Firefighters
Sept. 11: loanDepot park, Miami: Coconuts vs. Party Animals
Sept. 16–19: Grayson Stadium, Savannah, Ga. (BBCL Playoffs)
Sept. 25: New Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn. (Banana Bowl)
The All-Star Game and Secret Peel will be held at Grayson Stadium in Savannah, with dates to be announced.
The All-Star Game and Secret Peel will be held at Grayson Stadium in Savannah, with dates to be announced.
Dates to be announced: All-Star Game and Secret Peel, both at Grayson Stadium in Savannah
How to get tickets to a Banana Ball game
The 2027 ticket lottery is open at bananaball.com/tickets and closes Oct. 31. Entering doesn't guarantee tickets, but fans who are drawn get a window to buy before each event. If you've never been to a Banana Ball game, my advice is simple: enter for every stop you can realistically make.
FAQ
When does the 2027 Banana Ball season start?
The Bananas and Tailgaters open the season Feb. 5–6 at Walmart Park in Monterrey, Mexico.
Is Banana Ball going international in 2027?
Yes. The Mexico Series is in February (Monterrey and Tijuana), and the Canada Series is in August (Toronto and Winnipeg).
What is Banana Ball 360?
A format for football stadiums with two fields in opposite corners. Teams switch fields each inning so fans all around the stadium get a view near home plate. The only Banana Ball 360 game in 2027 is June 26 at Notre Dame Stadium.
When are the 2027 BBCL Playoffs?
Sept. 16–19 at Grayson Stadium in Savannah.
Where is the 2027 Banana Bowl?
New Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Sept. 25.
When does the 2027 Banana Ball ticket lottery close?
Oct. 31.
