Southwestern College chosen for CIF San Diego Open Division football final

The CIF San Diego Section has selected Southwestern College's 7,200-seat stadium to host the Open Division football championship game on November 21, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

San Diego's stadium options have diminished over the years as venues like Aztec Bowl and Balboa Stadium were replaced or demolished, and San Diego Stadium was succeeded by Snapdragon Stadium, limiting available sites for large high school events.

While Snapdragon Stadium is preferred, its busy schedule with San Diego State football and professional teams makes it unavailable for the CIF final, leading to the choice of Southwestern College over Escondido High School's smaller 5,500-seat stadium.

Todd Cassen, assistant commissioner of the San Diego Section, noted that both Southwestern and Escondido High are good venues but could be too small depending on the matchup, and the section aims to host championships in college or stadium settings whenever possible.

Future possibilities include a proposed medium-sized stadium at the Del Mar Fairgrounds by the San Diego Wave FC and a potential sports complex in Chula Vista that could provide better facilities for such events.