San Diego Wave relocates final match of the NWSL season due to pitch conditions at Snapdragon Stadium

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Concerns about Snapdragon Stadium, who hosts the San Diego Wave as well as the San Diego State football team and a professional rugby team, have been ongoing for the past few years. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

With the final weekend of the NWSL regular season approaching, one match is seeing a potentially important change. San Diego Wave, who was 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.

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.

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.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 11: Jenna Nighswonger #32 of Gotham FC battles with Rose Lavelle #16 during NWSL Cup Final game between NJ/NY Gotham City FC and OL Reign at Snapdragon Stadium on November 11, 2023 in San Diego, CA. (Photo by Michael Janosz/ISI Photos/Getty Images)SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 11: Jenna Nighswonger #32 of Gotham FC battles with Rose Lavelle #16 during NWSL Cup Final game between NJ/NY Gotham City FC and OL Reign at Snapdragon Stadium on November 11, 2023 in San Diego, CA. (Photo by Michael Janosz/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Snapdragon Stadium hosted the NWSL Cup Final between Gotham and Reign last season, despite concerns about pitch quality. (Photo by Michael Janosz/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

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.

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