The Tampa Bay Rays have made the “difficult decision” to halt an estimated $1.3 billion stadium and land redevelopment deal. The project would have secured the MLB club’s future in St. Petersburg, Florida, with a state-of-the-art ballpark next to Tropicana Field. 

The Rays’ current home is undergoing repairs after the stadium’s roof was heavily damaged by Hurricane Milton in October. The Rays will welcome visiting teams to Steinbrenner Field in 2025. The 11,000-seat ballpark serves as the New York Yankees’ spring training home.

Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said “a series of events” in October and financing delays led to “this difficult decision.”

“After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” Sternberg said in a statement. “A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision.”

Sternberg added that the organization remains committed to resolving its stadium issue.

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“Our commitment to the vitality and success of the Rays organization is unwavering. We continue to focus on finding a ballpark solution that serves the best interest of our region, Major League Baseball and our organization.”

“Major League Baseball remains committed to finding a permanent home for the club in the Tampa Bay region for their fans and the local community,” MLB said in a statement. “Commissioner (Rob) Manfred understands the disappointment of the St. Petersburg community from today’s announcement, but he will continue to work with elected officials, community leaders and Rays officials to secure the club’s future in the Tampa Bay region.”

Tropicana Field opened in 1990 and has been the Rays’ home since they took the field in 1998. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, a driving force behind what was dubbed the “Here To Stay” initiative aimed at keeping the Rays in the city for another 30 years, said the decision was disappointing, but “it is not unexpected.”

It’s possible the Rays could be sold, he noted.

Tropicana Field before a game between the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA Today Sports)

“If, in the coming months, a new owner who demonstrates a commitment to honoring their agreements and our community priorities emerges, we will consider a partnership to keep baseball in St. Pete. But we will not put our city’s progress on hold as we await a collaborative and community-focused baseball partner,” Welch said.

Under their current contract with the city of St. Petersburg, the Rays would play three more seasons at their existing ballpark after it is repaired. Those repairs are expected to be completed in time for the 2026 season.

“The City of St. Petersburg is currently advancing plans to restore Tropicana Field for the 2026 season,” Sternberg said. “We are thankful for their efforts and are excited to return to our home field next spring.”

The damaged roof of Tropicana Field, the home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, after Hurricane Milton made landfall in downtown St. Petersburg, Fla., Oct. 10, 2024.   (Reuters/Octavio Jones)

The proposed 30,000-seat stadium is a signature piece of a broader $6.5 billion revitalization project known as the Historic Gas Plant District, which refers to a predominantly Black neighborhood that was forced out by the construction of Tropicana Field and an interstate highway spur.

The Rays’ decision puts the broader project in limbo.

The Rays had faced a March 31 deadline to decide whether to continue with the new ballpark project. Under the agreement previously approved by the city and Pinellas County, the governments would cover about half the cost of the $1.3 billion stadium, with the Rays and their development partner Hines covering the rest, including any cost overruns.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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An investigation is underway at a Florida university after two fraternities were suspended for serious hazing allegations.

The University of Central Florida has suspended fraternities Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon after multiple reports of “dangerous and degrading” hazing, a school official said in a statement shared with WKMG.

According to an incident report obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, fraternity brothers at Sigma Chi allegedly hit pledges with a car as part of a hazing ritual.

UNIVERSITY SUSPENDS FRATERNITY ACCUSED OF ‘INHUMANE’ HAZING THAT LEFT PLEDGE IN FEAR

A sorority member whose house sits next door to Sigma Chi’s told police she heard yelling, saw a car strike a young man and then heard someone shout “help!” and “my bones, my bones, they’re broken,” a report said. 

In the statement, UCF officials stated that both Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon are on interim organizational suspension and under active investigation by UCF Police for felony hazing, including “a risk of injury or death.”

A detective assigned to the case wrote in the report, “Sigma Chi brothers had allegedly forced new members to stand in front of cars while members of the organization hit them with cars.”

The outlet uncovered that Sigma Chi has been a repeat offender at UCF, having been suspended eight times between 2015 and 2020, including four suspensions in 2019 alone. One of those 2019 incidents involved allegations the fraternity had blindfolded a pledge and forced him to use cocaine.

The national chapters have also temporarily suspended the UCF fraternities. 

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The oldest incident occurred in November at a fraternity house off campus, according to records obtained by WKMG. The incident happened while UCF’s main campus was closed and was not reported until Jan. 22.

A second hazing incident allegedly occurred on campus at the Sigma Chi house. The log says the incident occurred between Feb. 3 and Feb. 24 and was reported March 7.

A third incident, involving Sigma Chi, stems from allegations of a hit-and-run incident that occurred Feb. 24 on campus. 

UCF suspended fraternities Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon amid hazing investigations. Sigma Chi also faces a hit-and-run allegation. (FOX 35 Orlando)

The fourth hazing incident was reported March 4.

Authorities have not released details about the specific incidents that led to the investigations or whether any individuals have been charged. It is also unclear how long the suspensions will last or what disciplinary actions the fraternities may face.

This is the latest incident involving serious allegations within the school’s Greek system, which has added to growing concerns about a hazing culture on campus.

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The University of Central Florida suspended two fraternities as it investigates multiple reports of “dangerous and degrading” hazing incidents. (FOX 35 Orlando)

The suspensions follow last month’s action against Phi Gamma Delta for alleged antisemitism, which reportedly involved “the use of hate symbols.” 

“UCF unequivocally condemns hazing in all forms, and we are committed to holding individuals and organizations accountable for actions that threaten the safety and well-being of our students and others,” Courtney Gilmartin, assistant vice president of strategic initiatives and communications, told WKMG. 

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Gilmartin added that the fraternities’ suspensions barred them from on- and off-campus activities, including recruitment and social events.

Fox News Digital reached out to the university for comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com

The two most vulnerable Democratic senators voted against advancing a bill this week to prevent biological males from participating in women’s and girls’ sports, despite popular public support for such a policy. Now, they’re justifying why they did it. 

“I listened to what I heard in New Hampshire, and what we heard from people who were keeping track of how many — Charlie Baker, for example, who heads the NCAA, who said that it only applies to one person,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., told Fox News Digital. 

“I don’t think we need legislation to do that. I think we can police it through the organizations,” she said.

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“This bill was overreach,” Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a statement. 

“School districts and athletic associations can ensure fair, safe competition without subjecting the bodies of adolescent student athletes — children — to intrusive investigation by the federal government,” he said. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Ossoff’s office but did not hear back in time for publication. 

In a recent New York Times/Ipsos survey, the vast majority of Americans said men and boys who identify as transgender women and girls “should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports.” 

However, in a Senate procedural vote on Monday, every single voting Democrat blocked the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act from moving on to a final vote on passage. 

All voting Republicans voted in favor of limiting debate on the measure. If the bill had received enough favorable votes on the motion, it would have overcome the legislative filibuster, which is what the 60-vote threshold on Senate cloture motions is often called. 

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President Donald Trump signs an executive order barring transgender female athletes from competing in women’s or girls’ sporting events, in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Because the vote was only 51 to 45, the bill won’t move forward to a final vote at this time. 

Among Democrats in the NYT/Ipsos poll, 67% agreed with Republicans that biological males shouldn’t be allowed to participate in female sports. 

The bill, introduced by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., would require Title IX to treat gender as “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth” and would not allow for it to be applied to a differing gender identity. 

“This past week showed us how evil the Democrat party truly is. Every single senator voted to strip away the rights of women and girls everywhere,” Tuberville said in a statement. 

“Both Sen. Jon Ossoff and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen pretend to care about women, but they clearly don’t give a rip about their privacy, safety, or right to fair competition. They think protecting female athletes is an ‘overreach,’ but are perfectly okay with forcing women to share locker rooms and shower with fully intact males. One thing is clear: Jon Ossoff and Jeanne Shaheen are completely out of touch with their voters.”

After their votes, the National Republican Senatorial Committee took a shot at its top Senate targets. “Jon Ossoff could have joined the overwhelming majority of Georgians in the fight for common sense and keeping men out of women’s sports,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement. “Instead, he told parents and their daughters that Democrats believe they must play sports and share locker rooms and bathrooms with biological males.”

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Demonstrators protest in support of rights for transgender youth. (Fox News )

Both Shaheen and Ossoff are up for re-election in 2026 in New Hampshire and Georgia. While Ossoff has been gearing up for a tough Senate battle for months, Shaheen has yet to announce whether she will be running. 

She is expected to announce her decision at some point this month, sources in New Hampshire confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

Shaheen is the only remaining Senate Democrat in a competitive seat who has not yet publicly revealed her re-election plans. 

Gov. Brian Kemp, R-Ga., is the GOP favorite to take on Ossoff for the southern state’s Senate seat, but he has not said whether he will launch a bid. He said he has “really got a lot on my plate right now,” in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

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Kemp hasn’t said whether he will run for Senate. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images.)

“I’m in the middle of my legislative session. We’ve got a big tort reform fight going on. I’m chairing the Republican Governors Association. I made a commitment on that.” 

“I know I can’t keep holding out forever, so we’ll have something to say on that down the road,” he added. 

Nonpartisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report has rated the Georgia Senate race as a “Toss Up,” while the New Hampshire seat is considered “Lean Democratic.”