The Banana Ball (US) is going international.
‘ESPN’ stated that was one announcement by the growing league in its 2027 schedule reveal recently. Banana Ball is set to head to Mexico and Canada as part of the 2027 Banana Ball Championship League tour which will include 79 stadiums across 74 cities.
The Banana Ball Open will also return in 2027 with all six teams competing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, from April 15th-18th.
International Games
But the schedule and the international games which will be played in Mexico (Monterrey and Tijuana), Winnipeg and Toronto (Canada), weren’t the only changes Banana Ball unveiled recently.
The Banana Ball is a fast-paced, high-energy, entertainment-first version of baseball created by the Savannah Bananas that focuses on non-stop action, music, dancing, and fan participation.
The Banana Ball Championship League (BBCL or Banana League) is a barnstorming professional baseball league based in Savannah, Georgia (US). The league, which held its debut season in 2026, plays a version of baseball called Banana Ball developed by the Savannah Bananas which emphasizes showmanship, fan participation and quick-paced games.
The Savannah Bananas are a barnstorming baseball team based in Savannah, Georgia, United States. They play a variation of baseball known as Banana Ball which emphasizes showmanship, fan participation and quick-paced games. The players engage in dance routines, comedic sketches and other performances between, and often during, innings.
‘Going International’
Said Jesse Cole, Banana Ball Creator and Owner, “The fans have been talking about us going international for years and we’ve always said ‘not yet, not yet, not yet’. But, as the demand has grown, and we’ve continued to hear from the multiple countries and multiple opportunities, we said the time is now. We looked at the opportunity to create more fans and [we’re] very excited to go to Mexico, going to Canada, [bringing] four of our teams out there is going to be special.”
Conventional Stops
Banana Ball is also set to visit the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, and Cooperstown, New York, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. There will also be more conventional stops – among the 23 Major League Baseball (MLB) stadiums and 10 football stadiums on the 2027 schedule are the Louisiana State University’s (LSU’s) 102,321-seat Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the National Football League (NFL) team Tennessee Titans’ 60,000-seat New Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, which will host the Banana Ball World Tour Championship Bowl (Banana Bowl in shorthand) on September 25th.
Intentional Mix
‘ESPN’ further stated that it’s an intentional mix of unique, intimate spots and bigger venues that can host as many fans as possible.
Ultimate Goal
Added Cole, “You know, this past year, the wait list reached five million for tickets. And, so, we want to continue to have an opportunity to take care of as many fans as possible. That’s why we’re doing more of these National Football League (NFL) stadiums and more of these Major League Baseball stadiums. But, continuing to also keep it intimate in a sense. We’re playing at Field of Dreams this year. We’re playing at Cooperstown, where they’re unveiling a whole exhibit for all six of our teams. We’re going to Hawaii. The Coconuts are playing in Hawaii at a 4,000-seat stadium. So, you know, we’re continuing to remember where we started, where we came from, but the opportunity to get more fans to be able to see it is our ultimate goal.”
Prime View
Not content with simply playing on one field Banana Ball’s latest innovation will have one game being played on two fields with the two teams switching fields between innings. The Banana Ball 360, which will debut at the 80,795-seat Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, on June 26th, will involve two playing fields placed on opposite corners of a football stadium. The goal is to ensure that every seat in the stadium – even those that hold 100,000 spectators – has a prime view of the action.
The Banana Ball 360 is an innovative game format introduced by the Savannah Bananas where a single game is played across two separate baseball diamonds set up on opposite corners of a large football stadium.
Fan Experience
Continued Cole, “We continued to watch the fan experience and kept asking, ‘Well, what if? How can we make it better? How can we make it even better for the fans, the fans who are way out in the center field?’ Is there something that we can do to make it better? We just started asking that question and said, ‘Well, what if we put a field on one corner, and put a field on the other corner? And what if every inning, the teams switch?’ So, half the game, no matter where you’re sitting, you’re sitting close to the home plate.”
Still-growing Enterprise
Plenty of innovation is occurring off the field as well. Banana Ball is partnering with Disney to release a documentary on the rise of the league over the past decade thus offering a look at how the Banana Ball was built into the still-growing enterprise it has become. The documentary will feature original music from Pasek and Paul (American songwriting duo), with a world premiere set for the 41,108-seat Truist Park in Atlanta on June 12th.
Cruise Experience
The league also announced an update for the 2028 season – perhaps Banana Ball’s boldest project yet, a cruise experience for the fans. The venture will set sail for Puerto Rico (United States territory) in January 2028 thus culminating in a contest at San Juan’s (Puerto Rico) 19,125-seat Hiram Bithorn Stadium.
Innovate
With 2028 already in mind it’s no surprise that the Banana Ball keeps moving on to its next idea as Cole and Co. continue to innovate.
‘Truly Magical’
Concluded Cole, “I think [doing hard things] what drives us. I think that’s how you create something truly magical when you do the hard things that other people won’t do.”
Continue following Coliseum for the latest updates on sports venues, stadiums and arena business news worldwide.
Coliseum is dedicated to building a global community of sports and entertainment venue professionals helping create better and more profitable venues.
Become a member of the Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and industry experts from around the world. Apply for membership through the Global Sports Venue Alliance and access the 365Coliseum Business platform.