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SOCCER

Who are the Sycuan Tribe?

The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation will become the first Native American tribe to have an ownership stake in professional soccer in the United States.

Update:
The Sycuan Tribe become first Native American tribe to invest in MLS
Orlando RamirezUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

It’s official, San Diego, California has been awarded the 30th Major League Soccer team. The expansion club will begin to play in 2025 at Snapdragon Stadium on the campus of San Diego State University.

The 35,000-seat venue, which opened in 2022, is already home to the San Diego Wave FC and has proven to be a popular soccer venue. Alex Morgan and her teammates set a single-game attendance record there in the National Women’s Soccer League in September with a sold-out crowd.

The MLS’ newest club will be majority-owned by British-Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour. Also forming part of the team’s ownership is Manny Machado, six-time Major League Baseball All-Star and current member of the San Diego Padres. And in a first for MLS, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation will become the first Native America tribe to have an ownership stake in an MLS club as part of the $500 million agreement.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with the Sycuan Tribe to bring Major League Soccer to such a deserving community and legion of San Diego soccer fans,” said Mansour. “The Sycuan Tribe brings distinctive community connection and understanding to the area’s MLS expansion club,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement.

The Sycuan Tribe expands its strong commitment to San Diego with MLS expansion club

The tribe, which is one of 12 Kumeyaay tribes in San Diego County, has “deep roots”, very deep, going back 12,000 years. Investing in the MLS expanding into San Diego, the Sycuan is demonstrating once again their commitment to the region.

The tribe is already a long-term partner with countless major institutions in the community, including the San Diego Padres, San Diego Symphony, Children’s Hospital, and hundreds of local non-profits. “What a proud moment this is for the city and the Sycuan Tribe to bring MLS to San Diego,” said Sycuan Tribal Chairman Cody Martinez.

“Sycuan continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to the San Diego region and our MLS team will provide us with a great opportunity to bring together many different segments of the community through their passion for the game.”

Who are the Sycuan Tribe of the Kumeyaay Nation?

The Kumeyaay Nation ancestral territory once spanned 75 miles north and south of the US-Mexico border from the Pacific Ocean to the sand dunes west of the Colorado River. However, with the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors, deadly diseases decimated their numbers. From an estimated 30,000 when the Mission San Diego was established in 1769 the population was reduced to around 3,000 by 1848.

That loss of people made it harder for them to defend against the encroachment on their lands. The twelve tribes are now spread across 18 reservations in San Diego and Imperial Counties as well as Baja California. For its part the Sycuan Tribe was left with a reservation of just one-square mile located 20 miles east of San Diego.

And while the lands that they were able to secure “were remote, harsh, and not well suited for farming” that didn’t stop the Sycuan people. “Because of their endurance, resilience, and intelligence” they not only “managed to survive” but they have prospered.

Thanks to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act the Sycuan were able to turn that small piece of land into a valuable asset. The casino they operate is estimated to bring in just shy of $9 million per month.

“Today, the people of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation stand proud, making the most of their relatively small reservation land base. Mindful of their rich ancestral past, the self-reliant members of Sycuan are planning and working diligently for the benefit of their future generations,” the Sycuan profess on their tribal History & Heritage.