An upcoming USL San Diego club in USL Championship is preparing for a 2020 launch, with a formal announcement expected Tuesday.
In June, plans were announced for an upcoming San Diego-based expansion team in Division II USL Championship that is backed by an investor group that includes Warren Smith–founder of USL’s successful Sacramento Republic FC–and Landon Donovan (both pictured above). It was uncertain at the time when the club would begin play, with the 2020 and 2021 seasons floated as possibilities, but the organization is now moving toward a 2020 launch.
The club will play home matches at the University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium. A formal announcement of plans for a 2020 launch is expected to occur Tuesday night. More from the San Diego Union-Tribune:
The expansion franchise of the second-division United Soccer League will announce Tuesday night it is playing in March 2020 instead of 2021 at what it hopes will be an expanded Torero Stadium at USD. It hardly comes as a surprise; the club is finalizing a rent agreement with the university and said last week it is hiring 20 positions in its front office.
“I’ve started a number of franchises, and it’s always best to have more time,” said club founder Warren Smith, who has worked in both minor-league baseball and soccer. “But this region has been through a lot and we recognize that, and I think it’s fair to do everything in our power, like we said we would, to deliver in 2020.
“It’s mainly because we’re listening to our fans. We asked them in every meeting and all of our online surveys what they wanted, and all of them wanted it to be 2020. … That’s only six months away, so we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
On Tuesday night, they’ll start taking season-ticket deposits.
Some additional announcements are expected to follow in the near future, including the introduction of the club’s principal owner and team branding. The club has been bolstering its operations, announcing several front office staff appointments last week.
Photo courtesy Praise Media / USL San Diego.
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