VALRICO — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis discussed the Tampa Bay Rays while answering questions at a press conference in Valrico on Wednesday morning.
During the question and answer portion of the Jan. 28 press conference, DeSantis said he’s a “believer that baseball can succeed in Tampa Bay.”
The governor’s comments come after the Rays signed a nonbinding memorandum of agreement last week with Hillsborough College to build a facility on a 113-acre site along Dale Mabry Boulevard.
“You’ve got to have a venue that makes sense for people to travel to, and in this day and age you’ve got to have other stuff around it,” said the governor. “Restaurants, hotels, shopping. Even if you don’t like baseball, you’d still have fun going out and doing it.”
DeSantis also said the state could play a role in negotiations between the team and the college.
“Our role could be to help negotiate something that’s good for HCC [Hillsborough College] and good for the Rays.”
MORE: Tampa Bay Rays' new stadium proposal: What we know so far

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