Gov. Ron DeSantis is holding out hope that the latest potential stadium plan for the Tampa Bay Rays, at the Hillsborough College Dale Mabry campus, will bolster the franchise’s prospects.
“It could be very good for HCC, and I’ve met with the President about it. I think he’s excited about the possibility,” DeSantis said in Pinellas Park.
“Obviously, they’ve got to iron out details. But basically, we’re supportive of them pursuing that partnership because I think it could be good for them. I think it could be good for the state. But I definitely think it could be really good for this region, but particularly that part of the region.”
He noted that the football stadium “needs some love … some rejuvenation.” DeSantis suggested that a nearby baseball stadium, along with new hotels and restaurants in the area, could help draw more people to the area and drive support for further renovations.
DeSantis is by far the most baseball-focused Governor in Florida history, with an appearance at the Little League World Series and a captaincy of the Yale baseball team on his résumé.
His latest comments come as the Hillsborough College District Board of Trustees prepares to vote on a memorandum of understanding that would start the process to ultimately cede 110 acres for a mixed use development in exchange for a new campus for the school.
New owners Ken Babby, Patrick Zalupski and Bill Cosgrove say they would like to keep the franchise in the Tampa area, opening the park in time for the 2029 season, with suggestions that a public subsidy would be needed to make the numbers work.
DeSantis said the “Tampa Bay area needs to be able to have the first chance to make this work,” but said other locations will take the franchise if a deal can’t be closed locally.
“Orlando wants it. Disney would love to put it at the Wide World of Sports. Universal would put it close to their parks,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis also commented on the ongoing economic stratification in professional baseball, contrasting large-market teams with the “lower rung” of franchises, one that seemingly includes the more attendance-challenged Rays.
“You have Goliath, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who can just spend and spend. You’ve got a handful of other teams who can also spend way above and beyond … and then you get down to kind of the lower rung, the markets that haven’t generated as much. If you’re drawing 15,000 fans a game, it’s going to be tough to be where you need to be,” DeSantis said, referencing the Rays’ struggle with attendance.
“You could draw 25,000 in this area with the right circumstances, right? You know, it’s got to be a good location. It’s got to be a good venue. It’s got to have some stuff to draw. But if you’re starting to do that, well then all of a sudden, you know, the viability of everything really goes up.”