Angel City FC will be calling Banc of California Stadium home starting in 2022.
First the team, now the home pitch.
Angel City FC took another major step towards its increasingly anticipated debut when they announced on Thursday that their home stadium will be LAFC’s Banc of California Stadium when they start play in the Spring of 2022. The announcement was made official at a press conference outside the stadium that featured several members of Angel City’s ownership group, LAFC Co-President and Chief Business Officer Larry Freedman, NWSL commissioner Lisa Barid, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and L.A. City Councilman Curran Price
“Announcing our venue partner is a major milestone for Angel City, and we could not be more excited than to play in this spectacular venue right here in the heart of Los Angeles,” said ACFC Founder and President, Julie Uhrman. “We are building a club for all Los Angelenos, united in their support of women’s soccer and the magic that L.A. brings to its fans, players, and teams.”
Since the team was announced over the Summer, speculation abound as to where in the greater Los Angeles area Angel City FC would call home. Realistically, it came down to two options; Banc of California Stadium and the LA Galaxy’s Dignity Health Sports Park. In the end, it was Banc of California Stadium that won out as the preferred home pitch for Angel City FC, with its proximity to downtown Los Angeles perhaps being the deciding factor.
“From the beginning, we set out to build a Club where everyone was welcome — a Club that would strive to unite the world’s city through the world’s game,” Freedman said. “We are thrilled to welcome our new partners, Angel City FC, to our family, to our home, and to their new home. We look forward to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with ACFC to create great experiences here in the Heart of Los Angeles.”
There is a well-known connection between LAFC and Angel City FC that may have been a factor in Angel City choosing Banc of California Stadium as his home stadium, as US women’s soccer legend Mia Hamm has an ownership stake in both LAFC and Angel City FC. Also, late in the 2019 season, a group of fans in LAFC’s 3252 Supporters Section displayed a sign in LAFC colors advocating for an NWSL franchise in Los Angeles and similar signs popped up during the semifinal and final rounds CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament at Dignity Health Sports Park back in February.
The cries for an NWSL franchise in Los Angeles have been growing since 2019.
The makeup of the ownership groups for both LAFC and Angel City FC are also strikingly similar. Both franchises feature a mix of deep-pocketed entrepreneurs and famous names in both the sports and entertainment industry, all of whom have their own deep pockets.
