San Diego Chargers To Announce Move To Los Angeles, ESPN Report Says

SAN DIEGO, CA – The San Diego Chargers are set to announce the team plans to move to Los Angeles, ESPN reported Wednesday evening.

Citing sources, the sports news organization reported the team's announcement could come as early as Thursday.

"The Chargers have notified NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and other league owners of their intent to move to Los Angeles for the 2017 season," states the report written by ESPN Insider Adam Schefter.

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The report cited a source, however, that cautioned Chargers chairman Dean Spanos had not sent a formal relocation letter to the NFL, notify public officials in Los Angeles or San Diego of the team's move or tell the members of the San Diego organization about his plans.

There was no immediate response to an email sent to the Chargers seeking comment, but the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Wednesday evening that the team will hold a staff meeting at 8 a.m. Thursday.

Schefter, citing sources, broke the news shortly before 7 p.m. on Twitter.

"A stunner: Chargers plan to announce as early as Thursday they are moving to LA, ending 55-year stint with SD, league sources tell ESPN," he tweeted.

The tweet came just hours after the NFL announced Wednesday that Spanos was given two more days to decide whether to remain in San Diego or move the team to Los Angeles.

The deadline was extended from Sunday to Tuesday as team owners on the stadium and finance committees met in New York to discuss stadium situations in San Diego and Oakland.

“The deadline for the San Diego Chargers to exercise the option to relocate to Los Angeles is January 15,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. “Given the 15th falls on a Sunday of a playoff weekend and Monday is the federal holiday celebrating the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., we are extending the deadline on exercising the option until Tuesday, January 17.”

The Chargers played their inaugural season in Los Angeles in 1960 before moving to San Diego in 1961.

The team has been seeking a new stadium in San Diego for more than 15 years. Measure C, which would have raised hotel room taxes to provide the public portion of the cost of building a downtown San Diego stadium, was defeated in November.

If the Chargers move to Los Angeles, the team will join the Rams, which relocated to the city one year ago. The Rams and the Chargers would share a stadium being built for the Rams in Inglewood, a city abutting Los Angeles.

This is a developing story. More information will be added as it is released. Please refresh this page for updates.

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San Diego Chargers Stadium Watch: NFL Committees to Meet Wednesday

City News Service contributed to this report. Photo courtesy of the San Diego Chargers.