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 reportedly entered into a non-binding agreement with the Hillsborough College District Board of Trustees to pursue a stadium plan. This feels like the closest to a concrete solution we have seen yet. Having said that, there are still plenty of roadblocks that can rear their ugly head.
Fans have a ton of questions about how this will unfold going forward. Time is running short, with a host of pressing deadlines looming in the near future. What is really going on?
Rays Face Plenty of Hurdles in Getting a New Stadium
The Trop is a Short-Term Solution
Tropicana Field is a multipurpose stadium that has hosted a multitude of other sporting events. It was built in the mid-1980s with the purpose of attracting an MLB franchise to play in Florida. Before long, there were rumors about the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, and even Seattle Mariners moving to the west coast of Florida. All of those pursuits eventually fell on their face.
Fast forward to the present, and the Trop is not exactly a gold jewel among the ballparks in baseball. Still, the Rays need a place to play after Hurricane Milton threw everything into a tailspin when it ripped off the roof in October 2024. That resulted in the Rays playing games at George M. Steinbrenner Field during the 2025 regular season. The Rays are moving back to the Trop for a handful of years, but they need to construct a stadium that allows them to generate revenue consistent with other franchises in the sport. This stadium site on the campus of Hillsborough College could represent their last gasp at planting the flag in Tampa Bay.
News: A first look at #Rays, Hillsborough College stadium deal https://t.co/19tYBRHXhZ
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) January 20, 2026
Is This New Stadium For Real?
It’s not real just yet. It’s merely a plan to start negotiations so that the Rays could use land on the Hillsborough College campus to build a new ballpark. The proposed stadium would be nestled into a corner of real estate that has the college, the Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium, and the Tampa Airport all within shouting distance of each other. Also included is a mixed-use development plan for hotels, shops, restaurants, etc.
It sounds amazing on paper, but there is a long way to go. A six-month window allows the parties to keep negotiating on thorny issues such as money, land, real estate, etc. If no agreement is reached, then the agreement is subject to cancellation. The Rays face the arduous task of securing public funding in an environment where taxpayers don’t seem so keen on allocating dollars for stadium projects.
They have so many logistics to work through. How much of the approximately 113 acres will contain a ballpark? How will the college be compensated for allowing the Rays to use their property? What amount of public funding will the Rays ask for in this project?
Put Up or Shut Up
The golf ball is currently on the tee for all parties in Tampa Bay to take their best shot. Will they take a good swing? That’s the big question, and there are sharks who smell blood in the water.
The Orlando Dreamers group has been trying to land an MLB team in central Florida for years. They are watching the latest developments before possibly making another push. Former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin is the public face of their project and has the platform to make a very powerful case. The Dreamers allegedly have funding and a stadium site already picked out. At the very least, they look like a serious threat in the future.
Still, the Patrick Zalupski-led ownership group is already delivering on the aggressive timelines they spelled out during their introductory news conference a few months ago. If it took four months to accomplish something Sternberg couldn’t solve in 20 years, then this group may be arriving at just the right time.
Proceed with Caution
A fair question to explore is how involved the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in this proposal. A ballpark adjacent to their stadium raises questions about how money and revenues would be divided up, especially if the Buccaneers ask for public money to upgrade their current facility. The revenue from a ballpark village may lead to even more arguments about how much money each side is entitled to.
The Buccaneers issued a statement that read, “…we look forward to learning more about these proposed projects as the process moves forward”. That cryptic-sounding statement isn’t necessarily the most rosy endorsement, and raises questions about a potential partnership moving forward.
The best scenario is that shovels are in the ground by the end of this calendar year. That would allow the Rays to stick to their goal of opening 2029 in a new stadium. Still, there are hurdles, and the clock is ticking for the Rays to finally move into their permanent home.
Main Photo Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports