San Diego FC Breaks Ground on $150M Training Facility, Academy

Ahead of its Major League Soccer debut in 2025, San Diego FC is making moves toward building its future.

This week, the 30th MLS club broke ground on a new training facility and youth academy on the Sycuan Reservation in El Cajon, California. The project is expected to cost $150 million and be ready in time for the club’s inaugural season.

Mohamed Mansour and members of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation were on hand for the ceremony; the majority co-owners paid a record $500 million expansion fee for the right to found the team, becoming the first major American sports team to be owned by a Native American tribe.

Also on hand were MLS commissioner Don Garber, San Diego FC founder and CEO Tom Vernon, and San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado, who is a minority owner of the team.

The campus will cover 125,000 square feet, with a 50,000-square-foot performance facility to be shared by the first team and the academy teams. There will be five full-sized soccer fields: three natural grass and two synthetic turf. 

The club is investing much of the time, money, and space into its Right to Dream Youth Development Academy.

A concept not uncommon in European soccer, San Diego is looking to create a holistic approach to developing its academy players. All enrolled players will receive full five-year scholarships regardless of their play on the field, and will attend a privately operated school at the residential academy spanning grades six through 12 — a first in MLS.

The academy will of course feature many boarding school staples such as a dining hall, dormitories, and a communal hub. The club also plans to have a non-residential academy program for girls.