While there has been some recent speculation that the NFL and Chargers could consider a possible return to San Diego, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that this isn’t a realistic scenario.
“We’re not going back,” a team official tells Rapoport.
Rapoport spoke with a league source who emphasized there is zero pressure from the NFL for the team to consider reversing course on Los Angeles.
The Chargers have invested a million dollars in a training camp facility, tens of millions in a temporary training facility and tens of millions more to fix up the StubHub Center, so that would be a lot of money to walk away from so soon into the process.
The StubHub Center has been an issue for the team, as home games have had the feel of road games for the Chargers. Rapoport mentions that NFL officials have estimated it’s the same number of opposing fans who used to attend Qualcomm Stadium, only StubHub is much smaller, and they seem louder.
On Tuesday, NFL vice president of communications Joe Lockhart also denied the talks of the Chargers returning to San Diego.
“The only place I’ve heard that, is that I’ve seen it on the internet,” Lockhart said, via USA Today. “There are no discussions of returning to San Diego from the league or from the club.”
Lockhart stressed that Chargers owner Dean Spanos is well aware of the fact that this will be a long-term process for the franchise.
“Mr. Spanos has talked about this being a process,” Lockhart said. “About getting in and doing the hard work of connecting with the new community. That’s what they’re doing. You ask about what the league can do, the Commissioner was there Saturday night with important partners of the Chargers, talking to them, and was there again Sunday morning with partners and fans, three and a half hours before the game, and spent time with the team, the executives, some of the former players.
“So we stand ready, and I think the Commissioner is ready to do what we can to help build that fan base and the market. Again, I think that the club has made it clear that they didn’t expect this to happen overnight. It’s a process, and they’re building toward what we all believe will be a spectacular, new venue that will support both teams there in a very strong way.”
We’ll have more regarding Chargers as the news is available.
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