San Diego Wave’s final home match moved to Louisville due to poor field conditions

San Diego Wave FC announced Friday that due to poor field conditions at Snapdragon Stadium, their match this weekend against Racing Louisville FC will be played in Louisville, Ky.

“The safety and well-being of all players is our top priority, and the current field conditions at Snapdragon Stadium, which are the responsibility of a third party, have not met the standards required for a safe playing environment,” the club’s statement said. “A thorough review of the field was conducted and all alternative options within Southern California were exhausted; however, the league ultimately determined that moving the game to Louisville was the best solution.”

The match, set for 5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, will take place at Lynn Family Stadium. Racing announced ticket sales for the relocated match Friday, and due to the short notice, decided to make it general admission. The match will still air on ESPN.

The NWSL and players from the Wave evaluated the playing surface at Snapdragon Stadium early this week. The Wave made the call to move the game for player safety reasons.

Snapdragon Stadium released a statement saying it was disappointed in the NWSL’s decision to move the match to Lynn Family Stadium.

“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,” the statement said. “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 choice to move Sunday’s match is significant for both teams.

For Racing, currently in ninth place in the NWSL standings and hoping to crash the playoffs on the final weekend, a home game could be a major momentum swing. But Louisville isn’t guaranteed a chance to play for a quarterfinal berth, with both the Portland Thorns (in seventh place) and Bay FC (in eighth place) only needing a single point to clinch and keep Racing out. Portland plays Friday night at home; Bay FC is in Houston on Saturday.

For the Wave, it was set to be a fan appreciation night as the previously eliminated team’s season ended. They also planned a ceremony for Emily Van Egmond’s 100th NWSL appearance and giveaways among other activations. Alex Morgan was set to appear during the pregame ceremonies to honor her retirement, but a team spokesperson said her official celebration will now take place during the 2025 NWSL season.

Field conditions at Snapdragon Stadium are not a new issue for the Wave. The stadium was the site of multiple season-ending injuries for NWSL players last year, including McCall Zerboni, Taylor Smith and Abby Smith of Gotham FC, as well as Seattle Reign’s Megan Rapinoe in the 2023 NWSL Championship.

The NWSL club is a tenant of the facility and does not control the venue that also houses San Diego State University football and a professional rugby team. Things could worsen in 2025 with the addition of MLS expansion side San Diego FC.

Field conditions have been raised as a concern over the past month in San Diego, with interim coach Landon Donovan telling reporters that “outside of replacing the whole field” not much could be done to address it. Donovan also noted the considerable amount of sand on the field, which slowed players down.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

San Diego Wave, NWSL

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