Rays owner refuses to change 'Tampa Bay' name for new ballpark

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The Tampa Bay Rays want to upgrade their stadium from Tropicana Field, but co-president Brian Auld will not be changing the team’s name to do so. 

Auld spoke with the St. Petersburg City Council on Thursday, saying he will not agree to have a new ballpark deal if it requires the team to change its name from "Tampa Bay" to "St. Petersburg."

Former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker had previously suggested the city have the Rays swap the origin of the team in exchange for an estimated $600 million in public funding and land development rights to build a new ballpark. 

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A general view of the field during Game 2 of the Wild Card Series between the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, October 4, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

However, Auld made his intentions known before the city council. 

"Within the context of this particular issue, there will not be a new ballpark nor a development project if there’s a requirement to change our franchise’s name," he said. 

"The name of the team is the Tampa Bay Rays, and it’s going to remain the Tampa Bay Rays," Auld added, per WUSF. 

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Tropicana Field has long been considered a stadium that needed to fall out as an MLB destination. The dome in St. Petersburg has fallen behind other stadiums that have been erected and renovated over the years. 

Auld, though, hasn’t been in the best of light when it comes to the Rays in recent years. In 2021, Auld told the Wall Street Journal