Home of the San Diego State Aztecs
and Chargers (NFL) for more than four decades, Qualcomm Stadium looks
much different than it did when it opened. In the early 1960s
sportswriter Jack Murphy began to build support for a multipurpose
stadium for the area. When built, the stadium would become a
multipurpose venue, hosting numerous events including football and
baseball. In November 1965, a $27 million bond was passed allowing
construction to began on the stadium. Construction on the stadium
began one month later. When completed, the facility was named San
Diego Stadium. After years of playing at Aztec Stadium, the team had a
new facility to play at. The Aztecs played their first game at the
stadium on September 15, 1967 against Tennessee State.
-Tenant: San Diego State Aztecs -Conference: Mtn. West -Capacity: 71,294 -Surface: Grass -Opened:
September 15, 1967 -Cost: $27 Million
-Seating Chart
-San Diego State
Aztec Sports
San Diego
Stadium had a capacity of 50,000 multicolored seats upon opening. The three tier grandstand was in the shape of a horseshoe,
with the south end open. Since its opening, the Aztecs have shared the
stadium with the Chargers and until 2004 with the Padres (MLB). After the
death of Jack Murphy in 1981, San Diego Stadium was renamed in honor
of him. The stadium remained basically the same until 1983. Over 9,000
bleachers were added to the lower deck on the open end of the stadium
raising the capacity of Jack Murphy Stadium to 59,022. Sixteen years
later the most substantial addition was completed at Jack Murphy
Stadium. In 1997, Jack Murphy Stadium was fully enclosed, with the
exception of where the scoreboard is located. Nearly 11,000 seats were
added in readiness for the Super Bowl in 1998, bringing the capacity
to over 71,000. Also in 1997, the facility was renamed Qualcomm
Stadium after Qualcomm Corporation paid $18 million for the naming
rights. All of the multicolored seats have been replaced with new blue
seats. Qualcomm Stadium has several amenities including over 100
luxury suites and over 7,000 club seats. Unlike many other college
football teams, the Aztecs play the majority of their games at night
and have had much success at Qualcomm Stadium with a winning
percentage of .700.
