Yahoo Sports San Diego Wave relocates final match of the NWSL season due to pitch conditions at Snapdragon Stadium
The game will now be hosted in Racing Louisville's Lynn Family Stadium after growing safety concerns related to San Diego's field
With the final weekend of the NWSL regular season approaching, one match is seeing a potentially important change. The San Diego Wave, who were originally set to host Racing Louisville on Sunday, is relocating the game due to concerns about pitch conditions at Snapdragon Stadium, the team announced Friday.
The match will now be held in Louisville's Lynn Family Stadium. Due to the last-minute nature of the game, all tickets will be general admission and will cost $10 in advance, or $15 at the box office.
Sunday’s regular season finale against San Diego Wave FC has moved to Lynn Family Stadium!#RacingLou season ticket members will receive a complimentary ticket to the match, with tickets on sale to the public for just $10.
“To see this game move home is a major opportunity for… pic.twitter.com/hMPlSp9R4b— Racing Louisville FC (@RacingLouFC) November 1, 2024
The move is the culmination of long-term frustrations with the Snapdragon playing field, to the point that Sandra Herrera of CBS Sports reports the Wave have been fined throughout the 2024 season due to such concerns.
In a statement, the Wave said that the move came about after "ongoing player and field safety concerns" at Snapdragon Stadium. San Diego added that field conditions at the stadium, which is owned and operated by San Diego State University, did not meet safety standards, and that the team was unable to find an alternative option in Southern California.
"We apologize to our fans, who have shown unwavering support, and assure you that we are actively working with stadium management to resolve this issue," the Wave said in the statement. "Our players, fans, and community deserve a safe and top-quality environment for every game."
San Diego said that plans for an official watch party were underway.
Snapdragon Stadium responded to the location change with a statement on social media, saying that it was "disappointed" with the NWSL's decision.
"Although we recognize the aesthetics of the field do not meet our desired expectations, we are confident in our readiness to play a match on Sunday in safe conditions. Several factors, including high demand for field use and weather, have affected the turf, but we are dedicated to investing resources, specialized expertise, and advanced technology to address these challenges going forward," the stadium said in the statement, adding that it was exploring additional ways to improve the field's conditions.
— Snapdragon Stadium (@SnapdragonStdm) November 1, 2024
The Wave are in 13th place and have already been eliminated from the postseason, but Louisville, who is currently in ninth place, is just one spot out of the NWSL playoffs. Racing Louisville needs a win — and a loss from the Portland Thorns and/or Bay FC — to secure that spot, and they will now get to vie for that position on home turf.
Concerns about Snapdragon Stadium's conditions have been ongoing for years. The Wave share the stadium with the San Diego State football team and a professional rugby team, leading to overuse that has made holes in the pitch — not to mention residual paint from the SDSU games — a common sight at Wave matches.
The stadium hosted the NWSL Cup Final last season, and raised additional questions about the pitch quality due to a visibly degraded field during the game.
With San Diego FC, an MLS expansion team, also set to start play in Snapdragon next season, the Wave and the other tenants of Snapdragon will need to figure out alternative solutions to avoid relocation going forward.
