The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced Wednesday morning that San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium will host the 2023 neutral-site NWSL Championship game on Saturday, November 11.
Since 2015, the NWSL has hosted its championship match at a neutral site. Snapdragon Stadium will be the seventh stadium to host the championship in the last eight completed seasons.
“We’re thrilled to have San Diego Wave FC as our host for this season’s Championship match,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said. “With top-notch facilities, a passionate soccer community and a favorable coastal climate, San Diego sets the perfect stage for our marquee event. Many thanks to everyone at Wave FC and Snapdragon Stadium for their efforts in making this celebration of our league a reality. We look forward to welcoming fans in November for another exciting season finale.”
Last season, San Diego Wave FC became the first expansion club to make the playoffs, hosted a first-round playoff game and advanced to the league semifinals where they lost to the eventual champion Portland Thorns FC on a stoppage-time goal.
Snapdragon Stadium seems destined to break another NWSL record as the highest-capacity stadium in the league. The championship attendance record was set in 2018 at Providence Park, home of the Thorns, at 21,144 fans. Snapdragon Stadium holds the record for largest attendance for a regular-season game (32,000 on September 17) and largest attendance for a playoff game (26,215 on October 16).
“We are extremely proud and honored to have been selected to host the 2023 NWSL Championship game,” Wave FC President Jill Ellis said. “This gives us another significant opportunity to welcome the world’s game to San Diego, and we could not be prouder of our fans for embracing our club and creating the passionate atmosphere that is giving us the opportunity to bring this event to Snapdragon Stadium.”
The top six teams will make the playoffs with the top two teams receiving a bye to the league semifinals. The first-round matchups will begin on October 22, hosted by the three- and four-seed clubs. The semifinals will be hosted by the top two seeds on November 4.
The championship match will begin at 5 p.m. PT and aired nationally on the CBS Television Network.
Fan Fest will make a return to the NWSL Championship this season along with other events surrounding the championship match. Those details will be announced leading up to the big game at a later date.