The Savannah Bananas are preparing to amplify the Banana Ball experience in 2026.
The Bananas shared the news Thursday that the inaugural season of the Banana Ball Championship League will be hosted at 75 different stadiums across 45 states, aiming to share an exciting iteration of baseball with over 3.2 million attendees in 2026.
Among the venues slated to showcase Banana Ball are Kyle Field at Texas A&M and Neyland Stadium at Tennessee, both boasting seating capacities exceeding 100,000. Conversely, Dehler Park in Billings, Montana, is set to be the most intimate setting, accommodating crowds of 3,000.
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Additionally, two fresh teams, the Loco Beach Coconuts and the Indianapolis Clowns, are set to immerse themselves in the Banana Ball universe, joining the Bananas, Firefighters, Party Animals, and Texas Tailgaters.
These six teams will also be guided by a “prime-time coach,” as noted by Banana Ball’s creator, Jesse Cole, in a conversation with ESPN. These coaches will oversee pivotal “big games” throughout the season. Shane Victorino, a two-time World Series victor with previous involvement, will helm the Coconuts.
Victorino’s former Philadelphia Phillies colleague, Ryan Howard, is slated to manage the Clowns, who draw their moniker from the historic Negro League team bearing the same name.
Banana Ball action commences in February with a preseason schedule, followed by a tournament to secure a playoff berth. Each of the six teams will engage in a 50-game regular season spanning from late April to September, with the top three advancing to the postseason. The ultimate champion will be determined at the Banana Bowl on October 10.
2026 Banana Ball key dates
Feb. 26-28: Opening weekend (Dick Howser Stadium/Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Fla.)
April 16-19: Banana Ball Open (Grayson Stadium, Savannah, Ga.)
October 1-4: Banana Ball Playoffs (Grayson Stadium, Savannah, Ga.)
Oct. 10: Championship, site TBD.
2026 Savannah Bananas home dates
March 7-8: Grayson Stadium (Savannah, Ga.)
March 14-15: Superdome (New Orleans, La.)
March 21-22: Petco Park (San Diego, Calif.)
March 27-28: Angel Stadium (Anaheim, Calif.)
April 11-12: Kenan Stadium (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
April 25-26: Yankee Stadium (New York, N.Y.)
May 14-16: Grayson Stadium (Savannah, Ga.)
May 21: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tenn.)
May 23: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tenn.)
June 4-6: Grayson Stadium (Savannah, Ga.)
July 3-4: Kinnick Stadium (Iowa City, Iowa)
July 30-Aug. 1: Grayson Stadium (Savannah, Ga.)
Aug. 14-15: Coors Field (Denver, Colo.)
Aug. 21-22: Busch Stadium (St. Louis, Mo.)
Sept. 11-13: Grayson Stadium (Savannah, Ga.)
Sept. 18-20: Grayson Stadium (Savannah, Ga.)
2026 Texas Tailgaters home dates
March 8-9: Riders Field (Frisco, Texas)
March 14-15: Dell Diamond (Round Rock, Texas)
April 24-26: Hodgetown Stadium (Amarillo, Texas)
May 2: Kyle Field (College Station, Texas)
May 7-9: Oneok Field (Tulsa, Okla.)
May 15-16: Southwest University Park (El Paso, Texas)
May 28-30: Whataburger Field (Corpus Christi, Texas)
June 26-27: Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium (San Antonio, Texas)
July 2-4: Momentum Bank Ballpark (Midland, Texas)
Aug. 21-22: Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Aug. 28-29: Constellation Field (Sugar Land, Texas)
Sept. 24-26: Globe Life Field (Arlington, Texas)
Savannah Bananas’ Dakota “Stilts” Albritton pitches against the Firefighters during their “Banana Ball World Tour,” Sept. 19, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
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2026 Party Animals home dates
March 7-8: AutoZone Park (Memphis, Tenn.)
March 20-21: Sutter Health Park (Sacramento, Calif.)
March 28-29: Spring Brooks Stadium (Conway, S.C.)
April 11-12: Rio Grande Credit Union (Albuquerque, N.M.)
April 30, May 1-2: Las Vegas Ballpark (Las Vegas, Nevada)
May 8-10: Truist Park (Atlanta, Ga.)
May 22-24: Cheney Stadium (Tacoma, Wash.)
June 6-7: American Family Field (Milwaukee, Wisc.)
June 18-20: First Horizon Park (Nashville, Tenn.)
June 27-28: Autzen Stadium (Eugene, Ore.)
July 31, Aug. 1: Albertson’s Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
Aug. 13-15: The Ballpark at America First Square (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Sept. 18-19: Comerica Park (Detroit, Mich.)
Sept. 25-26: Progressive Field (Cleveland, Ohio)
