San Diego State University’s new 35,000-seat Snapdragon Stadium to host premier games
in sport’s first world championship in California
SAN DIEGO – World Lacrosse today announced the awarding of its 2023 Men’s World Championship to the city of San Diego. The first world championship in the sport of lacrosse to take place in California, the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s World Championship will feature 30 teams and more than 100 games at San Diego State University and the University of San Diego from June 21 to July 1, 2023.
Hosted by the San Diego 2023 Organizing Committee with support from World Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse, the tournament will showcase the top men’s teams in the world as the sport vies for inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
One of the fastest growing sports in the U.S., more than 900,000 individuals participate in lacrosse nationally. Southern California’s burgeoning lacrosse community is home to the National Lacrosse League’s San Diego Seals and the Premier Lacrosse League headquarters in Los Angeles. Seals owner Joe Tsai will serve as chair of the San Diego 2023 Organizing Committee.
Alongside the world championship, San Diego will host a youth festival for the duration of the tournament to engage with boys’ and girls’ players from around the region, country and world.
World Lacrosse CEO Jim Scherr said: “We’re incredibly excited to bring the premier men’s lacrosse tournament to California for the first time. The sport has seen rapid growth around the world and across the United States – especially in the southwestern region – and this event will serve as a catalyst for additional interest and participation as we seek to gain inclusion for lacrosse in the 2028 Olympics. Under the leadership of a connected and passionate local organizing committee, we anticipate unprecedented exposure for the sport amidst the stunning backdrop that Southern California provides.”
Steve Govett, vice chair of the San Diego 2023 Organizing Committee, said: “We’re honored to serve as the Local Organizing Committee and welcome the world to Southern California. We look forward to engaging the global lacrosse community to showcase the greatest athletes in the sport at the highest level of international competition here in the city of San Diego.”
The Men’s World Championship was first held in 1967, and every four years since 1974. 2023 will mark the fourth edition of the championship to take place on U.S. soil – and the first on the West Coast – after Baltimore played host in 1982 and 1998, and the 2014 event took place in Denver. In 2023, the U.S. will be defending its 2018 title, which was won by a 9-8 score over Canada in Netanya, Israel.
USA Lacrosse CEO Marc Riccio said: “We’re very grateful for the opportunity to compete in San Diego for the world championship. For our players, representing the United States while competing for gold has been a lifelong dream. To have the opportunity to do it in their own country, and to help showcase the growth of the sport around our nation, will make it even more special.”
SDSU’s newly constructed 35,000-seat Snapdragon Stadium – slated to open in September 2022 as the home of the school’s football program will be the site of the opening and closing ceremonies, opening game, semifinals, and medal games. An additional three fields will be used for tournament play at SDSU.
Meanwhile, USD’s Torero Stadium will host a majority of featured tournament games with a capacity of 6,000 spectators. The grass stadium is home to the university’s football and soccer programs, the United Soccer League’s San Diego Loyal and Wave FC’s inaugural season (2022). An additional turf field on campus will also host tournament play.
Julie Coker, president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority, said: “This is a big win for San Diego. Events like these are critical to the health of our local tourism economy, especially as we continue our recovery. It will also help highlight why San Diego is the perfect destination to host athletes from around the world so we can continue to attract premier sporting events and grow this important sector of our tourism economy.”
The World Lacrosse Men’s World Championship was delayed by one year due to COVID-19 after originally scheduled for 2022 in British Columbia.
For more information on the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s World Championship, visit WorldLax2023.com.
