Because they'll probably fill, and they can take residents. There are plenty of people that want to be in CA even at a brand new program, especially if that's southern CA.
Last year, I remember a CA program opening up in like Nov, and they managed to book a lot of interviews through late Jan.
It looks like this program will mostly be looking at participating in the SOAP and getting applicants from there. By throwing their hat in now, they'll actually be able to participate in the SOAP.