Rays Are Orlando’s if Hillsborough College Deal Fails, Hagan Says

DeSantis suggests state funds could help the Rays build a stadium district in Tampa

Backroom Briefing: Weekly political notes from The News Service of Florida By Jim Turner ©2026 The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis reiterated this week that Florida won’t fund a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. But state money could be used in other ways to assist the baseball team as it looks to create a “live, work, play and learn district” on land at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry Campus. “I think they’ve got, yo…

Rays’ new stadium plan again puts Orlando in spotlight as backup

“The reality is the they have significantly more bed tax revenue than we do, and they’ve been pushing for a team,” Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan said Wednesday.

Rays are Orlando’s if Hillsborough College deal fails, Hagan says

Like Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Hillsborough commissioner says Orlando is a real fallback option if the Rays sour on talks.

The Rays' New Stadium Proposal Still Faces Many Hurdles

The history of the Tampa Bay Rays franchise has been synonymous with the inability to find and build a stadium. Former owner Stuart Sternberg repeatedly flirted with various long-term stadium proposals, including one in Canada. Sternberg swung and missed every single time, and it culminated in him selling team ownership this past September. Now, new ownership is moving at a breakneck pace compared to the maneuverings of Sternberg. The Rays have …

Tampa Bay Rays Issue Key Update On Stadium Status

Tampa Bay Rays logo (Image Credits: Imagn) Tropicana Field’s indefinite shutdown cast serious doubt on the Tampa Bay Rays’ long-term survival after the damage from Hurricane Milton. As a result, the Rays played their home games at Steinbrenner Field last year, the spring training facility of the New York Yankees. On the other hand, plans for relocating to a new stadium within the Tampa Bay area were a major goal for the organization long before …