The Chargers played their final home game at what’s now known as Dignity Health Sports Park last Sunday and the crowd was a reflection of what most of the previous 21 games at the stadium were like.
Raiders fans dominated the small stadium and made the Chargers feel like the road team as they slumped to a loss that left them with an 11-11 mark at the stadium over the last three seasons. Quarterback Philip Rivers said it was “disheartening” to play in those conditions because he “remembers what it used to be like in home games.”
Guard Michael Schofield noted that the cozy confines made for a good experience for fans, but he’s more than ready to move on to SoFi Stadium next season.
“Unique is the right word to describe it,” Schofield said, via ESPN.com. “My mom and the rest of my family would always go to the games, and from a fan perspective, it was awesome because there’s not a bad seat in the stadium. But I’m excited for the new stadium and to be going to a real NFL stadium for sure. They always say if they build it, people will come. So hopefully that holds true with a $5 billion stadium.”
It remains to be seen if the Chargers will build the kind of fan base that regularly fills a 60,000-seat stadium, but they certainly seem ready to find out.