San Diego Loyal SC

On June 20, 2019, San Diego was awarded an expansion team in the USL Championship to debut in 2020 or 2021.[3] Warren Smith, one of the co-founders of Sacramento Republic FC, was named the President of the new club.[6][7] Former USMNT, LA Galaxy, and San Jose Earthquakes player Landon Donovan, was named the Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations.[6][7] He was named as the club's first manager on November 14.[8] The team's name and crest were developed through fan engagement to reflect the interests of the city.[7] On March 7, 2020, the team played their first competitive match, a 1–1 draw against Las Vegas Lights FC.

The Loyal forfeited a league match against LA Galaxy II on September 25, 2020, following the alleged use of a racial slur by Omar Ontiveros against Elijah Martin, one of the Loyal's Black players. The match had been played to a 1–1 draw and Ontiveros was later suspended for seven matches by the USL Championship.[9] A week later, the team forfeited another match against Phoenix Rising FC by walking out after halftime following the alleged use of a homophobic slur against Collin Martin, an openly gay player, by Junior Flemmings.[10][11] As a result of the two forfeits, the Loyal failed to qualify for the USL playoffs.[12]

The team signed a three-year letter of commitment to play at Torero Stadium.[7] Moreover, the initial three-year commitment comes with a series of one-year options for the following four years.[13] The team will initially focus on building a fan base and brand at Torero, noting that the stadium could be expanded to a capacity of 8,000.[13] Moreover, the team noted the possibility of sharing the prospective San Diego State University West stadium, at a 35,000 capacity, as a potential site for future years if they can cultivate the fan support.[13]

The first recognized supporters group established to support the team was The Locals Supporters Group.[14]

• Official website