Angel City FC announced on Thursday a temporary solution to its ongoing quest for a permanent training facility in the greater Los Angeles area: The NWSL team will remain at California Lutheran University but move to the facility formerly used by the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams.
A multimillion-dollar remodeling of the space is already underway, the club said, and the approximately 50,000 square feet of indoor space will make it the largest facility dedicated solely to an NWSL club.
Still, it is not a permanent solution for the team. Angel City FC will use the performance center “for up to four years,” the club said in a press release.
The news came just months new majority owners Willow Bay and Bob Iger closed on controlling ownership of the team for an NWSL record $250 million valuation. A better training facility setup has been a priority for years, and an area where Bay previously said could be of focus for further investment.
“From a sporting perspective, having a performance center that truly meets the unique needs of our athletes is absolutely critical,” Angel City FC general manager Angela Hucles Mangano said in a statement. “Our players and staff have long-awaited this training facility and will benefit greatly from brand new equipment and custom spaces. These invaluable resources are essential for performing at the highest level, and a primary need to provide a standard of professional excellence for our athletes.”
Cal Lutheran University is in Thousand Oaks, California, which is in a different county from LA. It is approximately 50 miles from the team’s downtown LA game venue, BMO Field, and it can take about 90 minutes to reach from LA in traffic.
Angel City has trained at Cal Lutheran since its inaugural season in 2022, utilizing modular trailers for locker rooms and staff space.
Angel City’s new performance center will include a full-size field and another half-field, in addition to a gym, treatment areas, on-site meals, and areas for staff. There will also be a player lounge and a children’s playroom for families of players and staff.
The Rams, who moved to LA from St. Louis in 2016 and won a Super Bowl in 2022, used the site up until this year, when they opened a permanent training facility elsewhere.
