When the 2028 Olympics come to Los Angeles, Snapdragon Stadium is getting a temporary name change.

As one of the regional hosts for the 2028 Olympic soccer tournament, the venue will officially be called San Diego Stadium.

It is not a rebrand, and it is not permanent. It comes from one of the International Olympic Committee’s long-standing venue rules known as the “clean venue” policy. During the Games, Olympic venues are stripped of most corporate branding unless the naming-rights sponsor is also one of the IOC’s top-tier global partners. Snapdragon is not, so the stadium name gets paused for the tournament/

The Olympic “Clean Venue” Rule

The IOC keeps venue branding tight during the Olympics. Their goal is simple: protect official Olympic sponsors and avoid conflicts with non-Olympic brands inside competition venues.

That means:

• Corporate stadium names are usually removed during the Games
• Non-Olympic sponsor signage gets covered or taken down
• Temporary generic names are used instead

So instead of “Snapdragon Stadium,” international broadcasts, tickets, and Olympic materials will use San Diego Stadium. It is easier for global visitors, and it keeps the sponsorship rules clean.

This Is Not Just a San Diego Thing

This happens all over the Olympic map. Other MLS venues hosting matches for LA28 are playing the same name game.

• PayPal Park becomes San Jose Stadium
• Energizer Park becomes St. Louis Stadium
• Lower.com Field (formerly ScottsMiracle-Gro naming rights) becomes Columbus Stadium

Same idea everywhere: remove the branding from the name, keep the geography. LA28 confirmed San Diego as one of the official soccer host cities alongside San Jose, St. Louis, Columbus, Nashville, New York, and the Rose Bowl for the finals.

For longtime locals, “San Diego Stadium” is actually a throwback. That was the original name of the old stadium before it became Jack Murphy Stadium, then Qualcomm Stadium, then SDCCU Stadium.

So for a few weeks in 2028, the Olympic soccer venue will accidentally feel like a full-circle moment: San Diego Stadium returns, just in a completely different building.

After the Olympics

Once the Olympic and Paralympic Games wrap up, everything goes back to normal.

The temporary signage comes down, the sponsorship restrictions end, and the venue name officially returns to Snapdragon Stadium.

No permanent name change. No new naming-rights deal. Just Olympic rules doing Olympic things.

You can see the full LA28 venue plan here, or check the official LA28 Olympic site for tournament updates and ticket releases. Snapdragon is scheduled to host 11 Olympic soccer matches, including semifinals and bronze medal games.