The ASU baseball team will be leaving Packard Stadium on the Tempe campus where it has played its home games for the last 40 years. The Sun Devils will be moving a few miles north to Phoenix Municipal stadium. The Phoenix City Council approved the plan Wednesday afternoon. KJZZ’s Al Macias explains.

Packard Stadium has been home to the Arizona State baseball team for 40 years. (Photo by Al Macias - KJZZ)

ASU wanted to move out of its longtime home to make room for expansion of other facilities. The school had originally hoped to move to the Chicago Cubs planned spring training site in Mesa. That deal fell through and ASU then began talking to Phoenix.

The city was facing the prospect of an empty stadium since the Oakland A’s are leaving Phoenix Muni to hold spring training in Mesa.

Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCicio says it’s a good deal.

"All operating expenses are going to be covered by them. All capitol improvements are going to be covered by them. Essentially you have an individual who is coming in and picking up all the costs, and they’re taking an asset off of our books that’s been a cost to the taxpayer," DiCicio said.

ASU has agreed to a 25-year lease with the city, with rent not to exceed $300,000 a year. ASU will begin play in 2015 at Phoenix Muni.

There may be another ASU partnership in the works. Dicicio says the city is negotiating with ASU about taking over the nearby city owned Papago Golf course which has been losing money. He gave no time frame for that agreement.