The Mariachis de Guadalajara baseball team has been exiled from the Panamerican Stadium after falling behind on leasing payments to the Jalisco state government, which owns and administers the facility in Zapopan.

A statement issued this week by the State Council for Sports Promotion (CODE) said the agreement to lease the stadium to the Mariachis, which play in the summer Mexican Baseball League (LMB), will be“terminated early due to non-compliance with its obligations.”

In addition, CODE said, the owners of the team will be required to pay for repairs to the stadium, and, should they refuse, the “corresponding legal actions will be initiated.”

In early August, the Mariachis players refused to take to the field in a game against the Sultanes de Monterey, demanding payment of two weeks’ salary, travel expenses and plane tickets that the players covered themselves.

According to a report in Proceso magazine, the owners of the Mariachis also have debts to “service and food providers, cleaning staff, hotels” and others.

The Mariachi owners issued their own statement this week, addressed to “our fans, the media and public opinion in general.”

The bulletin said: “Club Mariachis de Guadalajara wishes to state that this institution has not been notified by legal channels (of the CODE decision) and therefore cannot issue our position about the agreement regarding the Panamerican Stadium.”

The press release said the Mariachis organization is continuing its plans for the 2024 LMB season, which runs from May to September.

The Mariachis finished next to the bottom of the northern division of the LMB, with a 42-48 win-loss record, failing to make the playoffs.

After five games of the LMB final series, the Serie del Rey, the Pericos de Puebla lead the Algodoneros del Unión Laguna 3-2. The remaining two games of the series on September 15 and 16 can be seen on TV Azteca and Azteca Deportes.