Well, it looks like the Tampa Bay Rays will actually be playing in Tampa soon. Both the Tampa City Council and Hillsborough County Commission signed off on funding agreements this week, clearing the way for the Rays to finally build a new stadium.
The announcement ends nearly two decades of futility in trying to replace Tropicana Field. A prior agreement to build a new mixed-use development in St. Petersburg fell apart in 2025, and with the possibility of the team relocating, this was the last chance for the team to finally get a stadium deal approved.
The team intends to open the new ballpark in time for the 2029 season, which is especially important since their lease at Tropicana Field ends in 2028.
The new stadium will be located close to both Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and George Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees and minor league home of the Tampa Tarpons. The multi-use development will host at least 15 Yankees games, 66 Tarpons games, 10 Bucs games, and 81 Rays games per year, creating over 170 events before any concerts, special events, or playoff games are even factored in.
And with Benchmark International Arena just five miles away in downtown Tampa, that will add another 45 hockey games and a slew of additional events.
How the new stadium will impact traveling fans
It will certainly make traveling to Tampa for baseball both cheaper and more convenient.
With the stadium located in Tampa, fans will find it less necessary to rent a car, since the new ballpark will be just four miles from Tampa Airport, and five-ish miles from downtown Tampa. Although Tampa is hardly known for its public transportation, we wouldn’t be surprised to see some sort of shuttle created to transport fans from downtown hotels to the stadium, which would be yet another convenience.
All of this will make sports travel much easier for fans than going from TPA to St. Petersburg, which requires either a rental car (with parking fees) or a pricey rideshare.
Hotel options will also be easier, since there are more hotels in Tampa between downtown, the stadium, and the airport areas than in downtown St. Petersburg.
Proximity to the airport will also make it easier for fans to fly in on a Friday for an evening game, or catch a Sunday afternoon game and still get to the airport for a flight home that night.
Finally, it will make doubleheaders and multi-event visits far more possible, with potential overlaps between Rays and Bucs games.
Next steps
It seems fans now have just two more seasons to catch a game at the Trop. The good news is that, given MLB’s scheduling format, every team will play in Tampa for at least one series over the next two years. So if you want to see your team play there, you’ll have the opportunity. And while Tropicana Field may be much maligned, we still think it’s a worthwhile stadium to visit before its gone.
The tentative 2027 Rays schedule is already out, and you can check it out on our Ultimate Sports Calendar. And from that, we already know that there are multiple Rays/Lightning doubleheader opportunities in March and April. Of particular note for Canadian fans, the Montreal Canadiens play in Tampa on April 8, and the Toronto Blue Jays play the Rays on April 9.
