CARSON – The state football bowl championships are moving north.
The CIF state office announced Friday that Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium will serve as the main host for the state bowl championship games for the next three seasons.
The StubHub Center in Carson, formerly known as the Home Depot Center, has hosted the bowls since their debut in 2006. Five county schools – Orange Lutheran (2006), St. Margaret’s (2008), Servite (2009), Santa Margarita (2011) and Corona del Mar (2013) – have captured state titles in Carson.
Now, county teams seeking state glory could be headed north.
“We are excited to be holding this event at a facility which has hosted events such as the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships and will allow for a memorable experience for our student-athletes,” CIF executive director Roger Blake said in a statement.
A revision of the current state playoff format has been proposed.
If the CIF votes to approve the increase of an estimated 13 state championships in late January, however, the organization has plans to conduct bowl games at as many as five different sites across the state. CIF associate executive director Ron Nocetti said earlier this month that the organization would consider sites in the Bay Area, Central Valley, Sacramento, San Diego and Southern California if the proposal to expand passes.
On Saturday, StubHub Center will play host to three more bowl games, including Pac-5 Division champion Centennial of Corona (12-2) against De La Salle of Concord (13-0) at 8 p.m. in the Open Division.
– Jeremy Balan contributed to this report.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com