San Diego Wave postpones final game of NWSL season due to field conditions at Snapdragon Stadium

As the final weekend of the NWSL regular season approaches, one game is seeing a potentially important change. The San Diego Wave, originally scheduled to host Racing Louisville on Sunday, is moving the game due to concerns about field conditions at Snapdragon Stadium, the team announced Friday.

The game will now be played at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville. Because the game is a last-minute ticket, all tickets are general admission, which are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

The move is the culmination of longstanding frustrations over the Snapdragon pitch, so much so that CBS Sports' Sandra Herrera reports that the Wave were fined throughout the 2024 season because of such concerns.

In a statement, the Wave said the move was made due to “ongoing concerns about player and field safety” at Snapdragon Stadium. San Diego added that field conditions at the stadium, owned and operated by San Diego State University, did not meet safety standards and that the team could not find an alternative in Southern California.

San Diego said plans are underway for an official watch party.

Snapdragon Stadium responded to the location change with a statement on social media, saying it was “disappointed” by the NWSL's decision.

The Wave are in 13th place and already eliminated from the postseason, but Louisville, currently in ninth place, is just one spot away from the NWSL playoffs. Racing Louisville needs a win – and a loss against the Portland Thorns and/or Bay FC – to secure that spot, and they will now be able to compete for that position on home soil.

Concerns about conditions at Snapdragon Stadium have existed for years. The Wave shares the stadium with the San Diego State football team and a professional rugby team, causing overuse during Wave games that has resulted in holes in the field – not to mention leftover paint from SDSU games.

The stadium hosted the NWSL Cup final last season and raised additional questions about the quality of the pitch as the pitch was visibly damaged during the game.

Since San Diego FC, an MLS expansion team, will also be playing in Snapdragon next season, the Wave and Snapdragon's other tenants will need to find alternative solutions to avoid a move in the future.