Chicago Red Stars upset about being forced to move NWSL match for Riot Fest

The Chicago Red Stars are being forced to relocate for their Sept. 21 match against the San Diego Wave because of a music festival that is coming to town.

Riot Fest, an annual event that features punk rock music, will run from Sept. 20-22 and occupy SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, the home of the Red Stars. Chicago will now have to find a new venue in order to host their match against San Diego.

"It is unfair and unfortunate to have our club put in this situation, shining a light on the vast discrepancies in the treatment of women's professional sports versus men's sports," Red Stars president Karen Leetzow said in a statement. "We are committed to ensuring our players and fans have a first-rate experience on and off pitch, and we are working diligently to find a solution that will ensure our Sept. 21 game is a success."

Chicago is coming off a 2-1 loss to Bay FC on Saturday, a match that was held at Wrigley Field. The Red Stars set a NWSL attendance record, welcoming 35,038 fans to the historic ballpark of the Chicago Cubs.

Laura Ricketts, the new majority owner of the Red Stars, is co-owner of the Cubs.

Ricketts is actively searching for a new home stadium for the Red Stars, as she doesn't believe SeatGeek will be good for the team in the long run.

"We knew right from the beginning — like, rewind back almost a year and a half ago when we started considering acquiring the Red Stars — we knew that the current (stadium) situation was not the ultimate long-term solution," Ricketts told ESPN. "And really, the key to unlocking the door for this organization would be to solve that."

The Red Stars are 5-6-1 with 16 points on the season, leaving them in sixth place in the 14-team NWSL.