Chargers to Stay at Qualcomm for 2012

A statement from Spanos and Sanders offer hope to Bolts fans

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} The San Diego Chargers will stay put at Qualcomm Stadium for 2012 but the franchise is still looking for a new venue for the future.

In a joint statement issued Monday morning, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and Chargers owner Dean Spanos said both sides hope to find a stadium solution:

β€œThe City of San Diego and the Chargers continue to work closely together to explore publicly acceptable ways to build a Super Bowl-quality stadium on the bus maintenance yard site in the East Village of downtown San Diego.

To give this ongoing process every chance to succeed, the Chargers have announced that the team will not trigger the lease’s termination clause in 2012.

Both the Mayor’s Office and the Chargers look forward to continuing their joint efforts to build a multi-use stadium that will benefit the entire region.”

There have been rumors for quite some time that the Chargers could move to a new city.

Qualcomm stadium is said to be run down. Visiting teams have complained of moldy locker rooms and sub-par conditions.

Several Los Angeles stadium proposals have been made but at this point, none of them have enticed the head brass of the Chargers to move.

Last week, Spanos said in a radio interview he had no interest in the downtown LA site or any sites up there.

During a November visit to San Diego, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the hope, as with the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders, is to build a site competitive with most other NFL stadiums outside California.

"The plan is to make the Chargers successful here," Goodell said. "The Spanos family has worked tirelessly to do that, to find a solution here. They want to be in San Diego, I know the fans want to be here, and I can tell you, the NFL wants to be here, and we're going to keep working on it." 

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