Another San Diego football team is headed north.
For a year, that is.
San Diego State announced Tuesday morning that they will play in 2021 at Dignity Health Sports Park. The stadium in Carson was the home of the Chargers from 2017-2019 following their departure from San Diego.
The program says the move was necessitated by their construction timeline. While the program planned to continue playing in Mission Valley, they realized that SDCCU Stadium would need to come down in the first quarter of 2021. A fall season will take them to Carson, as would an upcoming spring season - the result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Although I am disappointed that we will not be playing our home games in San Diego next year, I remain incredibly excited about playing in our new stadium in the fall of 2022,” SDSU Athletic Director J.D. Wicker said in a statement. “While we wait for completion of this transformational facility, I am thrilled that Aztec fans will be able to cheer on our team while enjoying a remarkable game-day college atmosphere.”
The 35,000 seat Aztec Stadium is the heart of San Diego State's Mission Valley project. San Diego State's new home is expected to be ready for the start of the 2022 season.
SDSU has played in Mission Valley since the structure opened as San Diego Stadium in 1967. Now they will depart their longtime home for Carson, as the Chargers did in controversial fashion following the 2016 season. That recent history sets an uncomfortable precedent for the Aztecs, despite their move being projected for two seasons within one calendar year.
The Aztecs haven't finalized a scheduled for the 2021 spring season, but their fall campaign is set to feature seven home games against New Mexico State, Utah, Towson, Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada and New Mexico.
