Tampa Bay Rays acquire soccer club

ST. PETERSBURG — The Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to buy the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer club from St. Petersburg businessman Bill Edwards, effective Oct. 11, for an undisclosed sum. 

The deal will also cede control of Al Lang Stadium, the Rowdies’ downtown St. Pete waterfront home, to the Rays — who a decade ago made an unsuccessful push to build a new baseball stadium on the site. A key condition of the sale, however, requires the Rays to keep the Rowdies at Al Lang for at least the next five years.