The Tucson Baseball Team announced it will not return to Kino Sports Complex and will relocate to Mexico after federal visa problems prevented the club from playing home games during the 2025 season.
Team owner Victor Cuevas Jr. said the decision follows a determination by the U.S. Consulate General in Hermosillo that B1/B2 visas previously issued to team members were not the appropriate classification. The consulate informed the team of the problem on Oct. 3, 2025 — just before the start of the season — forcing the franchise to play all of its games in opponents’ stadiums in Mexico.
“We are grateful for the support we received from Pima County, Visit Tucson, and the Southern Arizona Sports, Tourism, & Film Authority,” Cuevas said. “We were all looking forward to making history together here in Pima County. While this chapter is coming to a close, we leave with nothing but appreciation for the fans and sponsors who believed in and supported the team.”
Cuevas’ family had moved the franchise from Navojoa, Sonora, to Tucson for the 2025 season as a member of the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico (LAMP). Ownership worked to resolve the visa issue but canceled the remainder of its one-year use agreement with Kino in December 2025, with about two weeks left in the season.
Sarah Hanna, director of Kino Sports Complex, said the Cuevas family “was a wonderful partner” and expressed regret at the outcome while praising the complex’s role in the community. “We’re grateful for the support of Visit Tucson, and the Southern Arizona Sports, Tourism, & Film Authority, who stood with us to bring the team to Tucson,” Hanna said. She added that Kino — a 300-plus-acre facility that includes a major-league-style baseball stadium, a professional soccer stadium, clubhouses and dozens of fields and courts — will continue efforts to attract events and teams to Pima County.
Although ownership had previously signaled interest in a 2026 return, continued uncertainty over visas prompted the team and LAMP to relocate the franchise back to Mexico as preparations ramp up for the 2026 winter league season.
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