What Is Banana Ball and Why Everyone’s Going Bananas for It

The Greatest Show in Sports

Savannah Bananas are redefining baseball as entertainment. ABC News calls it “a fast-paced, rowdy version of baseball designed to delight and entertain fans.” It's been featured in major outlets including ESPN+, HBO, 60 Minutes, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. It's a viral craze fans are lining up for, and newcomers are learning about as videos fill feeds and TV screens across all demographics.

🍌 A Rule-Breaking Spectacle

Players dance mid-game—think Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Lizzo, Taylor Swift, and Earth, Wind & Fire. Yes, players. This is not a dance team on the dugouts during a pitching change or a perky crew trying to keep you in your seats in between innings. These are actual, talented baseball players performing, playing, and having a ball with the fans. 

There are unpredictable scoring celebrations, crowd interactions, and on-field theatrics. Banana Ball has 11 rules that keep the game moving during traditionally boring moments for the fans and add twists that kick it up a notch. It's the basics of the sport of baseball, but with unexpected, refreshing fun that feels as much like a show than a game.

🎪 Characters You’ll Love

Jesse Cole, the yellow-tuxedoed founder, lives and breathes banana spirit. Dance teams include Banana Nanas (seniors), Man-Nanas (dad bod cheerleaders), and Banana Splitz (kids) who are also in the show. Creativity is overflowing from every corner of the diamond. Even umpires and coaches join the fun with signature dances and antics. 

⚾ The Birth of Banana Ball

The story of Banana Ball could be a course on culture, branding, and how to turn around an organization. It originated in 2016 with the rebrand of a struggling baseball team. Effectively broke and not selling tickets, the owners, Jesse and Emily Cole, changed the team name to the Savannah Bananas, which made headlines in the sports world, and fans started showing up. Every game has sold out since then - proof that fun trumps tradition.

Fans First Entertainment, the official company name of the brand, launched four independent teams:

• Savannah Bananas
• Party Animals
• Firefighters
• Texas Tailgaters (the newest and first Texas-based team, and Frisco's newly-adopted hometown favorite!)

🌎 The Banana Ball World Tour

The expanded teams are bringing expanded Banana Ball fun. 2025 marks the biggest tour yet: 30 cities, 17 MLB stadiums, 4 NFL stadiums, and 2M+ fans. 

The Tailgaters face off against fellow Banana Ball teams in locations across the U.S, playing 33 games against the Savannah Bananas, Party Animals, and Firefighters. Do the Savannah Bananas play in Frisco in 2025? No -it's two teams in the Banana fam facing off. The Texas Tailgaters are playing the Party Animals in Frisco in September 2025. In fact, the Tailgaters will host headliner home games in Frisco, Round Rock, and San Antonio, where fans will get the full Tailgater experience and be a part of the Greatest Pregame in Sports. Frisco friends - arrive early and get ready for the show!

The Texas Tailgaters host the Party Animals at Riders Field on Friday and Saturday, September 5 and 6, 2025. More to come here soon on how to tap into the fun of Banana Ball in Frisco, Texas. 

The Tailgaters 2025 schedule: 

Reno, NV | May 29-31 | vs. Party Animals
Cincinatti, OH | Jun 13-14 | vs. Bananas 
Richmond, VA | Jun 20-21 | vs. Firefighters 
LeHigh Valley, PA | Jul 5-6 | vs. Party Animals 
Salem, VA | Jul 11-12 | vs. Firefighters 
Philadelphia, PA | Jul 26-27 | vs. Bananas 
St. Paul, MN | Aug 1-2 | vs. Party Animals 
Baton Rouge, LA | Aug 8-9 | vs. Party Animals 
Fayetteville, AR | Aug 15-16 | vs. Party Animals 
Pittsburgh, PA | Aug 29-30 | vs. Bananas 
Frisco, TX | Sep 5-6 | Headliner vs. Party Animals 
San Antonio, TX | Sep 12-13 | Headliner vs. Party Animals 
Round Rock, TX | Sep 19-20 | Headliner vs. Party Animals 
Houston, TX | Sep 26-27 | vs. Bananas

Get to Frisco

Baseball is always a big deal in Frisco, Texas. Home to the Frisco RoughRiders, Riders Field is a family-friendly ballpark with great baseball and even better entertainment for everyone. With a lazy river in right field, it's an experience like nowhere else! 

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