The Chargers are expected to announce on Thursday plans for their NFL game against the Houston Texans that was originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium.
The team has been consulting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders as they followed the progress of efforts to fight the wildfires that have swept through San Diego County. Qualcomm has been serving as the largest evacuation center in the county.
“The Chargers continue to have only one goal: provide Mayor Sanders with the time and flexibility he needs to make whatever decision the Mayor believes is in the best interests of the people of San Diego,” the team said in a statement released Wednesday. “The Chargers are fully prepared to implement whatever decision the Mayor makes, including either playing the game at Qualcomm Stadium or relocating the game to another facility out of the San Diego area.”
Options considered include playing the game Monday in San Diego or Sunday in Dallas.
The Chargers are practicing Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in Arizona at the Arizona Cardinals’ practice facility.
San Diego State and BYU had announced on Tuesday their game schedule for Saturday night at Qualcomm has been postponed to Dec. 1 at Qualcomm.
San Diego State’s football team resumes practice on Thursday indoors on campus at the Aztec Recreation Center.
The University of San Diego football team practiced Tuesday and Wednesday indoors at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. The Toreros will practice again Thursday before leaving Friday morning for their regularly scheduled game on Saturday at Dayton University.
The CIF San Diego Section, the governing body for high schools sports in the area, announced in conjunction with county school district superintendents that all high school athletic events, including Friday night’s football games, have been canceled.
The plan is to resume the schedules for the fall sports season next week without making up games that were scheduled for this week.
— TOM SHANAHAN