San Diego's forthcoming MLS club has made several key steps before their 2025 debut season, announcing Sunday the location of a new state-of-the-art training facility that will include a Right to Dream residential youth academy.
The facility will be located on a 28-acre site in El Cajon, California on Sycuan tribal land, making San Diego the first professional sports organization to establish a dedicated training facility on a tribal reservation. Core features of the new facility include:
- 125,000 Square-Foot Campus: The project includes the construction of a new 50,000-square-foot state-of-the-art sports performance facility for the first team and academy teams, equipped with cutting-edge technology and amenities. The project also includes the renovation of 10 existing hotel buildings that will be repurposed for student housing, the Right To Dream school, employee housing/offices and guest accommodations.
- Five Soccer Fields: The facility will boast five full-sized soccer fields, including three natural turf fields and two synthetic turf fields.
- Infrastructure Improvements: The project will also include open-air training areas surrounded by the natural beauty of the Sycuan tribal land and infrastructure improvements to ensure seamless access and operations.
The Right to Dream Academy will accommodate students ages 11-18 spanning grades 6 through 12. Housing and classroom facilities for academy members will be provided through renovations of the existing Singing Hills Hotel. Facilities will be made available to students, professional players and staff working on campus.
“We couldn’t ask for a more perfect location for our training facility and Right to Dream Academy,” San Diego MLS CEO Tom Penn said in a release. “This land is absolutely beautiful – rich with tradition and heritage – which will give us the foundation to achieve our vision to become the epicenter of football excellence and innovation in North America. We are grateful for the unwavering support of our club ownership Mr. Mohamed Mansour and Sycuan.”
More information regarding the project will be revealed at a groundbreaking ceremony in November, when renderings of the facilities will be unveiled and details of the Right To Dream model will be further explained. A permanent name, as well as colors and logo, are also expected to be unveiled on October 20 at Snapdragon Stadium, where the club is slated to play their home matches.
San Diego's MLS expansion was confirmed on May 18, 2023, making them the league's 30th club. Their ownership group is led by businessman Mohamed Mansour and the Syucan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.
