Wave season finale moved over field safety fears

Sunday’s NWSL regular-season finale between San Diego Wave FC and Racing Louisville FC has been moved to Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, due to an unplayable field at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.

Snapdragon Stadium was scheduled to host the match on Sunday, the NWSL’s final day of the regular season.

Wave leadership evaluated the surface earlier this week and players walked the field Thursday morning before sharing their feelings that the conditions would be unsafe, according to a Wave spokesperson. The club alerted the NWSL and the NWSL Players Association, and a FIFA representative flew to San Diego Friday morning to further evaluate the field.

Racing Louisville were not made aware of the issue with the field conditions until Friday morning, a team source said.

A spokesperson for the Wave said the team exhausted all options for closer alternative venues, including the 6,000-seat Torero Stadium in San Diego, where the Wave initially played as an expansion team in 2022 while construction of Snapdragon Stadium finished. BMO Stadium in Los Angeles and Titan Stadium in Fullerton, California, were also considered before the decision to move the game to Louisville.

In a statement, the team said they were not responsible for the condition of the field.

“San Diego Wave FC has made the difficult decision to relocate our upcoming home match to Louisville, KY due to ongoing player and field safety concerns at Snapdragon Stadium,” the statement read.

“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. 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.”

In response, Snapdragon Stadium authorities said they were “disappointed” with the league’s decision and contended that the field was safe for play.

“We are disappointed with the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) decision to move Sunday’s match from Snapdragon 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 in safe conditions,” read a statement on X.

The statement added that they would be investing resources to improve the condition of the field moving forward.

Racing Louisville sits in ninth place, three points off the final playoff place. Racing must defeat San Diego on Sunday and have other results go its way to qualify for the postseason for the first time.

The game, which will be shown live on ESPN, will still kick off at 5:30 p.m. ET.

“To see this game move home is a major opportunity for the club, and we’re aiming to rally as much support as possible on short notice,” Racing’s general manager, Ryan Dell, said in a statement. “Tickets are low-cost, the weather forecast looks great, and some club history could be on the line.

“We invite the community to join us Sunday at Lynn Family Stadium and show out for an ESPN audience.”

Snapdragon Stadium’s field has been an eyesore for the Wave for several seasons and was a source of criticism around the venue hosting last year’s NWSL Championship. It has often been dry, sandy and noticeably discolored, in addition to frequently visible American football markings.

The Wave have incurred multiple fines this year for the poor quality of the playing surface, a source confirmed to ESPN.

The stadium was also the venue for March’s controversial Concacaf W Gold Cup semifinal between the United States and Canada, which was completed despite a heavily waterlogged field.

San Diego State football, the current primary tenant, played there last Saturday on a field that had sand kicking up as players ran.

San Diego FC will begin playing at Snapdragon Stadium in 2025 as an MLS expansion team, and the new team’s CEO, Tom Penn, has previously stated that the team’s lease guarantees it first pick at dates on the schedule.

The relocation of Sunday’s game to Louisville comes with some irony. Former Wave head coach Casey Stoney criticized Louisville’s field last year as a “notoriously” poor surface when asked why Alex Morgan wasn’t in the lineup for a game.

The relocation of the match also brings an end to a tumultuous year for the Wave. San Diego can still finish last with a loss and a Houston Dash victory. If that happens, it will mark the first time in NWSL history the Shield winners from the previous season finished last.

Stoney was controversially fired in June despite leading the team to that NWSL Shield last season, and to the best expansion season in NWSL history in 2022.

Five former Wave employees also recently alleged multiple forms of discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination by the club in a recent lawsuit against the Wave and the NWSL.

Wave players and staff will fly to Louisville on Saturday morning.

The team said that details for fans who had purchased tickets to attend the match at Snapdragon Stadium would be provided as soon as possible.

“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,” San Diego’s statement added. “Our players, fans, and community deserve a safe and top-quality environment for every game.”