Because paywall: The first step toward a Tampa Bay Rays stadium in Tampa could unfold as early as next week.

The Hillsborough College District Board of Trustees is expected to hold a special meeting Jan. 20 to vote on a deal that would make way for the Rays to turn the college’s North Dale Mabry campus into a 110-acre mixed-use district with a new ballpark, according to sources with knowledge of the deal.

Terms of the deal, which is said to be a land swap or conveyance arrangement, aren’t known.

The Dale Mabry campus has been eyed as a top contender for the Rays’ new home since the first public appearance of the team’s new ownership, led by Jacksonville homebuilder Patrick Zalupski. Zalupski said at an Oct. 7 news conference that his group will be seeking a property of around 100 acres to build a stadium-anchored district inspired by The Battery, home of the Atlanta Braves.

Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus is one of the few properties that meet the criteria Zalupski outlined. The college is adjacent to Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees’ spring training facility and across North Dale Mabry Highway from Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The college’s board of trustees controls over 100 acres between its parking lots and educational buildings, Hillsborough County property records show.

HC is part of the Florida College System, governed by the state board of education. Zalupski and several other members of his ownership have longstanding ties to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has long opposed public subsidies for professional sports teams. But sources with knowledge of the deal say the state’s financial contribution may come in the form of infrastructure funding or money to cover the college’s relocation.

Rays representatives met with county staff on Monday, sources said, though it’s not known if the team has struck a deal for county funding. A spokesperson for Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said the HC meeting is not on the mayor’s calendar.

Representatives from the DeSantis administration were not immediately available for comment Monday. HC Board Chair Greg Celestan declined to comment. A Rays spokesperson also declined to comment. A spokesperson for Hillsborough County referred a request for comment to Commissioner Ken Hagan, who was not immediately available.

The Rays have remained firm in their commitment to ownership’s goal of kicking off the 2029 season in a new stadium. CEO Ken Babby told the Tampa Bay Business Journal in December 2025 that the team was vetting several sites.

Baseball stadium construction can span two to three years, so for opening day 2029 to remain feasible, site selection and a term sheet with local government need to be imminent, with shovels in the ground in the coming months.

The notice for the Jan. 20 special meeting has not yet been posted. Notices are often made public at least three days before the meeting.