When it comes to the Savannah Bananas, there is no off-season; there are no dull moments. Fresh off of its inaugural Banana Ball World Tour, the team last week made several big announcements concerning what’s next for the social media sensations.
In classic Banana fashion, the team’s 2024 World Tour schedule was not released through a standard press release or via a social media post. Instead, it was live streamed on YouTube as an "NFL Draft" presentation held on Thursday, Oct. 5, with all the proverbial bells and whistles the team is known for.
The schedule itself is also impressive. It includes dates at six different Major League Baseball stadiums which are home to the Astros, Red Sox, Nationals, Guardians, Phillies and Marlins. The first games are set for Feb. 8-10, 2024 in Tampa while the finale (sort of) is on Oct. 12 in Miami. The Bananas board a cruise ship bound for the Bahamas after that last game in Miami.
A partnership between the franchise and Norwegian Cruise Lines, "Bananaland at Sea'' is set for Oct. 14-18, 2024. Most of the Banana bunch – from the players on the field to the crew members working behind the scenes – will be on board to provide entertainment and more.
The Bananas play against the Party Animals for the most part, but beginning on May 30, 2024 in Savannah, a third team called The Firefighters will join the tour. Players on that roster will come from around the country to play 19 Banana Ball games in total.
Among the 2024 schedule are 23 games slotted to be played in Savannah at Grayson Stadium. The complete schedule can be found below with non-Savannah dates and Savannah dates listed separately.
According to the team's official website, “In order to get tickets for any of the tour stops in 2024, fans need to join the Ticket Lottery List before it closes on December 1, 2023. Joining the list doesn’t guarantee the opportunity to buy tickets. A random drawing will take place about 2 months before the event. If you’re selected, you’ll have an opportunity to purchase tickets.”
The team also noted that joining the ticket lottery list sooner rather than later does not impact your chances of being selected. Tickets begin at $35, if you are fortunate enough to have “the opportunity.”
In August, 2022 the team announced they would no longer be fielding a collegiate amateur summer league team in the Coastal Plain League (CPL), where they had previously won three championships (2016, 2021, 2022) in seven seasons. Instead, they would stop playing baseball altogether. Banana Ball, the game created mostly by owner Jesse Cole as an alternative to the nation’s pastime, would instead be the team’s sole focus.
They played across the country for a 2023 World Tour which included stops in 33 cities and 21 states. By any measure, it was an incredible success. From February through September, the team played in sold out venues and in front of adoring fans who considered themselves lucky to even get a seat. They wrapped the 2023 schedule with a game at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, New York.
That’s a city which should be familiar to baseball fans. Home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown welcomed Cole and the Bananas in mid-September for much more than a game with the Party Animals. The Hall also unveiled a temporary exhibit called “Going Bananas” on Sept. 15 with a ceremony, complete with a ribbon cutting.
"Banana Ball is bigger than we ever could've imagined," Cole said at the time. “(Fans are) seeing something they've never seen. It's not traditional. It's completely fun and entertaining."
2024 BANANA BALL SCHEDULE (NON-SAVANNAH DATES)
Feb. 8-10: Tampa Bay, Florida; George M. Steinbrenner Field
Feb. 15-17: Peoria, Arizona; Peoria Sports Complex
Mar. 1-3: Jacksonville, Florida; 121 Financial Ballpark
Mar. 9: Houston, Texas; Minute Maid Park
Mar. 14-16: Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Alex Box Stadium
Mar. 22-24: Gwinnett County, Georgia; Coolray Field
Apr. 12-14: Durham, North Carolina; Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Apr. 20-21: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park
Apr. 25-27: Mesa, Arizona; Sloan Park
May 3-5: Fresno, California; Chukchansi Park
May 9-11: Sacramento, California; Sutter Health Park
May 16-18: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark
May 24-26: Columbus, Ohio; Huntington Park
June 8: Boston, Massachusetts; Fenway Park
June 13-15: Nashville, Tennessee; First Horizon Park
June 27-29: Indianapolis, Indiana; Victory Field
July 5-7: Buffalo, New York; Sahlen Field
July 13: Washington, D.C.; Nationals Park
Aug. 1-3: Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville Slugger Field
Aug. 10: Cleveland, Ohio; Progressive Field
Aug. 16-18: Norfolk, Virginia; Harbor Park Stadium
Aug. 30-31: Salt Lake City, Utah; Smith's Ballpark
Sept. 6-8: Des Moines, Iowa; Principal Park
Sept. 21: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Citizens Bank Park
Oct. 12: Miami, Florida; LoanDepot Park
Oct. 14-18: Bananaland at Sea
2024 BANANA BALL DATES IN SAVANNAH
Feb. 23-25
Mar. 28-29
Apr. 4-6
May 30-31
June 1
July 18-20
Aug. 22-24
Sept. 13-15
Sept. 26-28
