The Tampa Bay Rays have been chasing a new stadium for nearly 20 years.
Hurricane Milton destroyed their previous deal with Democrats in St. Petersburg.
And Ron DeSantis just outsmarted Democrats with one brilliant move on the Rays stadium.
DeSantis finds creative solution to keep baseball in Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis stood alongside MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred at Hillsborough College on Tuesday to announce state support for a $2.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays stadium.
The announcement showed how DeSantis threads the needle between keeping baseball in Florida and protecting taxpayers.
DeSantis made clear the state won't hand over cash for the stadium itself.
Instead, he's using state-owned assets smartly to facilitate the deal without raiding the general fund.
"I don't support giving taxpayer dollars to professional sports stadiums, period," DeSantis said when he vetoed $35 million for a Rays spring training facility in 2022.
He's sticking to that principle while finding a way to keep the team in Florida.
The Rays are replacing the failed St. Petersburg deal that collapsed after Hurricane Milton ripped the roof off Tropicana Field in October 2024.
Former owner Stuart Sternberg bailed on that $1.3 billion proposal after the storm delayed construction and drove up costs.
Jacksonville developer Patrick Zalupski led a new ownership group that bought the team for $1.7 billion last year.
DeSantis jumped in to help keep baseball in the Tampa Bay region rather than watching the team relocate to another state.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2019064051620573267?s=20
Using existing state assets instead of new spending
DeSantis outlined how the state plans to support the project without writing checks.
The state owns land near the Hillsborough College Dale Mabry campus where facilities for the Department of Juvenile Justice and Florida Department of Law Enforcement sit.
Both agencies already planned to relocate their outdated facilities.
DeSantis plans to transfer that land to the college so they can negotiate with the Rays.
State Senator Danny Burgess filed a $50 million budget request for Hillsborough College improvements at the Dale Mabry campus.
The college desperately needs facility upgrades.
Hillsborough College President Ken Atwater called it a "game-changing opportunity" for the institution.
The college gets a revitalized campus with new buildings, curriculum enhancements, and workforce development programs.
DeSantis is killing multiple birds with one stone.
The state was going to spend money relocating those facilities and fixing the college anyway.
Now those investments serve double duty by enabling the stadium project.
The Rays want at least half the stadium cost covered by public sources including tourist bed taxes and property tax increases from surrounding development.
Those funding mechanisms don't tap general taxpayer funds.
Hotel taxes are paid by visitors, not residents.
Property tax increases come from new development that wouldn't exist without the project.
https://twitter.com/FLVoiceNews/status/2018717258638385351?s=20
DeSantis helps Florida compete against other states
The Governor described keeping the Rays as important for Florida's sports landscape.
DeSantis grew up in nearby Dunedin and played baseball at Yale.
He understands the sport's importance to Florida communities.
The team's struggles stem partly from playing in the worst location in baseball.
Tropicana Field sits across the bay from Tampa in St. Petersburg.
Democrat-run St. Petersburg stuck the stadium in a location that makes it nearly impossible for Tampa-area fans to attend weeknight games.
Traffic heading to St. Petersburg can turn a 20-mile trip into an hour-long nightmare.
The Rays consistently ranked near the bottom in MLB attendance despite competitive teams.
Moving closer to Tampa's population center solves that problem.
The Dale Mabry location sits near Raymond James Stadium and Tampa International Airport.
It's accessible for the entire Tampa Bay region.
DeSantis is correcting the Democrats' mistake from the 1990s when they built Tropicana Field in the wrong location.
Rays CEO Ken Babby projects the development will generate over $34 billion in economic impact.
The mixed-use district will include hotels, restaurants, retail, and residential development around the ballpark.
That creates jobs and tax revenue for decades.
States like Tennessee and Texas aggressively recruit sports teams with public support.
Florida needs to compete or risk losing teams to other states.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2018708197197107393?s=20
DeSantis found a way to help without the massive cash subsidies Democrats approved in places like Buffalo and Washington, D.C.
Smart politics and smart policy
DeSantis's support shows conservative governance can solve problems creatively.
Use existing state assets instead of raising taxes.
Invest in institutions like community colleges that serve residents.
Facilitate economic development without massive subsidies.
The state will transfer land it already owns, relocate facilities already scheduled to move, and fund college improvements that benefit students.
Hillsborough County commissioners discuss the proposal Wednesday.
https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/2018756026426601817?s=20
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor previewed funding options using tourist taxes and development revenues.
The Rays' lease at Tropicana Field expires in 2028.
Manfred made clear baseball is committed to Tampa Bay if a deal gets done.
"Baseball belongs in Tampa Bay, baseball can succeed in Tampa Bay," DeSantis said Tuesday.
He's backing that up with smart policy rather than blank checks.
DeSantis deserves credit for keeping baseball in Florida while protecting taxpayers from the massive stadium subsidies other states hand out.
Sources:
- Frank Kopylov, "Gov. Ron DeSantis pledges state support for Rays stadium at Hillsborough College site," Florida News, February 3, 2026.
- Jesse Mendoza, "Gov. DeSantis steps up to the plate on Rays' stadium talks with Hillsborough College," Florida Politics, February 3, 2026.
- Associated Press, "Florida's DeSantis and MLB commissioner support new Rays stadium in Tampa," ABC News, February 3, 2026.
- Nicolas Villamil, Lucy Marques, Marc Topkin, "DeSantis, Manfred to talk Rays next week at Hillsborough College," Tampa Bay Times, January 30, 2026.
- Steve Newborn, "Rays could pay for half of new stadium cost as DeSantis plans to meet with MLB commissioner," WUSF, February 2, 2026.
