The Tampa Bay Rays aren't going anywhere — not very far, at least. The Hillsborough County Commission voted Friday, Aug. 28 to approve construction of a proposed stadium for the team in Tampa, near the campus of Hillsborough College. The team has played at Tropicana Field in nearby St.
Petersburg since its inception in 1998, with the exception of a one-year hiatus in Tampa in 2025, while Tropicana Field underwent repairs in the wake of Hurricane Milton. The Tampa City Council voted to approve the deal on Thursday, Aug. 27. The votes pave the way for the new stadium to open in 2029, according to multiple reports, and puts to rest the relocation rumors that have followed the team for years.
When the Rays and the City of St. Petersburg dropped their plans to develop a new ballpark site close to Tropicana Field in March 2025, the team's longstanding quest for a new ballpark began anew. So did the possibility of relocation out of the Tampa Bay region.
In January 2025, a group fronted by Hall of Famer Barry Larkin publicly pushed for MLB to place a team in Orlando, about 80 miles east of Tampa. The Chicago Tribune advocated for a new venue that would give the Windy City three MLB teams, along with the White Sox and Cubs. Nashville, Tennessee was willing, but only if the stadium was privately financed.
More news: Hall of Fame ‘Voice of the Expos' Dies Thursday, the Tampa City Council approved the city’s portion of the proposed $2.3 billion stadium deal by a 4-3 vote after hours of debate. The agreement calls for Tampa to provide about $80 million for public infrastructure. The Rays would contribute about $1.37 billion and cover construction cost overruns.
On Friday, Aug. 28, the Hillsborough County Commission approved the county’s agreements by a 5-2 vote, completing the major local approvals. The county contribution is $796 million: $360 million from the Community Investment Tax, $303 million from tourist-development tax bonds and reserves, $103 million from other county funds and $30 million in federal disaster-recovery money. "By virtue of its approval of a county investment in partnership with the Rays and the City of Tampa, today our entire region can celebrate the coming of a privately financed and mixed-use neighborhood, a reinvented Hillsborough College campus, and a new ballpark that secures the long-term future of Major League Baseball here in Tampa Bay." For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
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