DeSantis muscle to Rays Tampa Bay venue plans

Article posted by Coliseum, February 6^th, 2026

Image: Tampa Bay Rays

The Florida (US) Governor Ron DeSantis said on February 3^rd at a presser held at the Hillsborough College that the State will support the proposal to use the Hillsborough College location for a new stadium for the Major League Baseball (MLB) team Tampa Bay Rays.

‘tampabay28.com’ quoted DeSantis as stating, “Baseball belongs in Tampa Bay (a large, shallow natural estuary and bay on the West-Central coast of Florida). Baseball can succeed in Tampa Bay. The State is going to be supporting this proposal to use this Hillsborough Community College (HCC – a large public institution in Tampa, Florida) location to be the site of the new stadium.”

The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area (US). The Rays compete in the Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division.

The 25,025-capacity Tropicana Field (nicknamed ‘The Trop’) is a domed multipurpose stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. ‘The Trop’ is the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB).

‘tampabay28.com’ stated that the Governor says the project represents more than just a new ballpark describing it as a comprehensive mixed-use development that could revitalize the area around the college campus.

DeSantis outlined the State’s contribution to the project which centers on land conveyance rather than direct financial support. The State will transfer ownership of the land to the Hillsborough Community College which will then negotiate usage agreements with the Rays.

Added DeSantis, “Our role here, in working with the Hillsborough College, is this land is basically owned by the State. We’re going to be conveying the land to the college and then they will be able to negotiate use with the Rays in ways that I think will be mutually beneficial.”

The Governor confirmed that several State buildings currently on the property will be relocated including a Department of Juvenile Justice facility that was already planning to move and a Florida Department of Law Enforcement office that has requested relocation.

DeSantis also committed State support for transportation infrastructure improvements around the stadium site noting the location’s accessibility advantages for the fans throughout the region.

While the State has committed to land conveyance and infrastructure support negotiations between the Rays and the local Governments on stadium funding is yet to formally begin.

The Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, who has worked on stadium efforts for 16 years, said he expects negotiations to start within the next couple of weeks. The team has set a goal of playing in the new stadium by 2029.

“A minimum teams got to be in for 50 percent if not more,” Hagan said regarding the expected funding split between the public and the private sources.

Hagan noted that the tourism tax revenue would help fund the project with different portions allocated for various sports facilities in the region.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said the City continues exploring funding options that don’t rely on taxpayer dollars with additional revenue streams expected to be announced in the coming days.

Traffic management has also been a concern. Hagan said that the Tampa Sports Authority would handle traffic coordination. Hagan also noted that modern ride-sharing services would help reduce parking demands and traffic volume compared to traditional stadium operations.

The project faces a compressed timeline with formal negotiations expected to conclude within the next couple of months to meet the 2029 target opening date.

The ownership group plans community meetings throughout the region to gather input on the development plans. More detailed renderings and project specifications will be released as negotiations progress.

DeSantis expressed optimism about the project’s potential legislative support noting that the lawmakers would likely be more receptive to funding a comprehensive redevelopment rather than maintaining aging facilities.

The specter of Orlando as an alternative location for the Rays was acknowledged but downplayed by both DeSantis and the Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred during the presser.

Observed DeSantis, “They could have easily been doing a negotiation against one City or the other. They haven’t done that.”

Manfred was more cautious when asked if this represented a “last chance” for Tampa Bay stating he would be “hesitant to characterize it as this or never again” while acknowledging that “Florida is vibrant” and “there are alternatives in Florida”. However, he admitted that “something needs to get done” for the franchise’s future.

Sources stated that the Rays have expressed their intent to cover at least half of the stadium construction costs. The remaining portion, according to the agenda, could be funded through public sources.

On January 20^th a meeting was held where the Hillsborough College trustees approved a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Rays to build a new ballpark in Tampa.

DeSantis has publicly supported the Rays-Hillsborough College relationship. While the Governor has said the State will not finance stadium construction he has indicated it could assist with infrastructure improvements related to the project.

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