The National Lacrosse League has detailed plans to stage its first regular-season outdoor game at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium on March 4 next year.
The game will see the San Diego Seals take on the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. Snapdragon Stadium will also host an NCAA Women’s lacrosse tournament over the same weekend.
It is hoped that the event will serve as a weekend celebration of lacrosse in San Diego. Snapdragon Stadium opened earlier this year and serves as the home of San Diego State University’s American football team, as well as National Women’s Soccer League franchise San Diego Wave.
The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 but it will be scaled for 10,100 seats for the NLL game. Teams set to compete in the NCAA tournament include San Diego State University, Stanford University, Kent State University and UC Davis.
The Seals normally play home games at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, while the Desert Dogs play at the Michelob Ultra Arena.
NLL commissioner Brett Frood said: “Our goal for the NLL and for the sport of lacrosse is to continue to increase awareness, enthusiasm and enterprise value well beyond where it exists today.
“This epic setting gives us another unique opportunity to showcase our world-class athletes and on-field product, and not only engage with our core audience but attract diverse sports’ fans in search of new entertainment passions. We are looking forward to working with the Seals and all our supporters in Southern California to make this an event to remember.”
Adam Millar, general manager of Snapdragon Stadium, added: “We’re honoured to host the Seals’ first-ever outdoor NLL game. Looking forward to seeing another amazing San Diego team out on our field, and excited to welcome a whole new set of fans to the stadium.”
The Snapdragon Stadium project has been deemed San Diego’s most significant sports and entertainment venue since the opening of Petco Park, home of Major League Baseball team the San Diego Padres, in 2004.
In May, operators of Snapdragon Stadium said they were confident of landing a Major League Soccer expansion franchise to play at the venue. Investors are eyeing up the launch of a team in the Californian city as soon as 2024, with the stadium compliant with MLS requirements.
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