LAFC breaks ground on new stadium, unveils name of venue

Los Angeles FC's brand new stadium is officially under construction. The team, along with city officials, broke ground on the new venue Tuesday morning as they aim to open the stadium in time for the team's expansion season in 2018.

In addition to breaking ground on the stadium, the team also made a very big announcement; it will be called Banc of California Stadium, as part of a naming-rights deal with the bank.

The stadium is being built on the site of the Los Angeles Sports Arena, an arena that was once home to the Lakers, Clippers, UCLA basketball, USC basketball and was the preeminent indoor venue in the city. But the arena has long been outdated and generally empty. Now LAFC has the building and they will demolish it to build their 22,000-seat stadium.

The stadium's location is about as good as it gets. It's just down the road from downtown and in the middle of Exposition Park, near the LA Coliseum, Natural History Museum, California Science Center and USC. It's also right off of the Expo Line, making it easily accessible from public transportation.

LAFC will begin play in 2018 and the hope is that the stadium will open in time for the team's first home game.

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