Qualcomm Stadium
Encyclopedia
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium
, in San Diego, California
, in the Mission Valley area.
It is the current home of the NFL
's San Diego Chargers
and the San Diego State University
Aztecs college football team
. It hosts the Bridgepoint Education
Holiday Bowl
and the San Diego County Credit Union
Poinsettia Bowl
college football games every December. Until 2003, it served as the home of the MLB
's San Diego Padres
.
The stadium has hosted three Super Bowl
games: Super Bowl XXII
in 1988, Super Bowl XXXII
in 1998, and Super Bowl XXXVII
in 2003. It has also hosted the 1978
and 1992
Major League Baseball
All-Star Games
, the 1996
and 1998 National League Division Series
, the 1984
and 1998 National League Championship Series
, and the 1984
and 1998 World Series
. It is the only stadium ever to host both the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same year (1998). It is one of three stadiums to host all three events, with the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
in Minneapolis and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
.
The stadium is located immediately northwest of the interchange of Interstate 8 and Interstate 15; the neighborhood surrounding the stadium is known as Mission Valley, in reference to the Mission San Diego de Alcala
, which is located to the east, and its placement in the valley of the San Diego River
. The stadium is served by the Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego Trolley
station, accessible via the Green Line and a Special Events line from the 12th and Imperial Transit Center.
, the brother of New York Mets
broadcaster Bob Murphy
, began to build up support for a multipurpose stadium for San Diego. In November 1965, a $27 million bond
was passed allowing construction to begin on a stadium, which was designed in the Brutalist style
. Construction on the stadium began one month later. When completed, the facility was named San Diego Stadium.
The Chargers (then a member of the American Football League
) played the first game ever at the stadium on August 20, 1967. San Diego Stadium had a capacity of around 50,000; the three-tier grandstand was in the shape of a horseshoe, with the east end low (consisting of only one tier, partially topped by a large scoreboard). The Chargers were the main tenant of the stadium until 1968, when the AAA Pacific Coast League
San Diego Padres
baseball team played its last season in the stadium, following their move from the minor league sized Westgate Park
. Due to expansion of Major League Baseball, this team was replaced by the current San Diego Padres
major-league team beginning in the 1969 season. (The Padres moved out of Qualcomm Stadium following the 2003 season.)
After Jack Murphy's passing in 1980, San Diego Stadium was renamed San Diego-Jack Murphy Stadium or simply Jack Murphy Stadium. In 1983, over 9,000 bleachers were added to the lower deck on the open end of the stadium raising the capacity to 59,022. The most substantial addition was completed in 1997, when the stadium was fully enclosed, with the exception of where the scoreboard is located. Nearly 11,000 seats were added in readiness for Super Bowl XXXII
in 1998, bringing the capacity to 70,561. Also in 1997, the facility was renamed Qualcomm Stadium after Qualcomm
Corporation paid $18 million for the naming rights
. The naming rights will belong to Qualcomm until 2017. In order to continue to honor Murphy, the city named the stadium site Jack Murphy Field. However, as part of the naming agreement Jack Murphy Field was not allowed to be used alongside Qualcomm Stadium. Some San Diegans, however, still refer to the stadium as "Jack Murphy" or simply "The Murph". Bob Murphy before his death in 2004, during New York Mets broadcasts still referred to it as Jack Murphy Stadium, even after it was renamed.
The stadium was the first of the square-circle "octorad" style, which was thought to be an improvement over the other cookie cutter stadiums of the time for hosting both football and baseball (the second and last of this style was the since-imploded Veterans Stadium
). Despite the theoretical improvements of this style, most of the seats were still very far away from the action on the field, especially during baseball games. It is one of the few "cookie-cutter" stadiums to still remain active, along with Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
.
When the stadium was configured for baseball, the portable sections would be placed in the western quadrant of the stadium along the third base-left field side. Open bullpens were located along both foul lines just beyond the ends of the Field-level seats.
In the football configuration, the portable seating sections are placed in the northern quadrant of the stadium (covering what is used as left field in the baseball configuration) to allow for the football field to be laid out east-west (along the first base/right field foul line, with the western end zone placed in the area occupied by the portable seating sections in the baseball configuration, and the eastern end zone along the right-center field wall).
Doorways are cut in the walls of the stadium in order to allow access to these seats from the tunnel below the Plaza level in both configurations (in baseball configuration, the football doors could be seen above the left field inner wall; in football configuration, the baseball doors are visible above the west end zone, opposite the scoreboard). These doors are rolling metal overhead doors, with the field side painted to match the surrounding walls facing the field.
The seating capacity for football went as the following:
until the end of 2003
, when they moved into PETCO Park
in the downtown area, the National League
's San Diego Padres called the stadium home.
The baseball field dimensions had varied slightly over the years. In 1969, the distance from home plate to the left and right field wall was 330 feet (100.6 m), the distance to the left- and right-center field power alleys was 375 feet (114.3 m), and the distance from home plate to the center field was 420 feet (128 m). A 19 feet (5.8 m) wall, whose top was the rim of the Plaza level, surrounded the outfield, making home runs difficult to hit. Later, an eight-foot fence was erected, cutting the distances to 327, 368 and 405 feet (123.4 m), respectively. In 1996 a note of asymmetry was introduced when a 19 feet (5.8 m) high scoreboard displaying out-of-town scores was erected along the right-field wall near the foul pole and deemed to be in play, and so the distances to right field and right-center field were 330 feet (100.6 m) and 370 feet (112.8 m), respectively, while the remaining dimensions remained the same.
Rickey Henderson
collected his 3000th major league base hit here on October 7, 2001
as a Padre, in what was also the last major league game for eight-time National League
batting champion and Hall of Famer: "Mr. Padre" Tony Gwynn
, who played his entire career here. Recent fans were treated to a recording of the song "Hell's Bells
" by the heavy metal rock band
AC/DC
whenever ace reliever Trevor Hoffman
arrived in a game in the 9th inning in a save situation. Victories by both the Padres and Chargers have been celebrated by the playing of the song "Gettin' Jiggy With It" recorded by singer and actor Will Smith
.
It was before a Padres game at the Murph against the Cincinnati Reds
where comedian Roseanne Barr
gave her infamous rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner
" in 1990
.
The San Diego Chargers
teams that played football here in the 1970s and 1980s featured a high-scoring offense led by quarterback Dan Fouts
and featuring running back Chuck Muncie
, tight end Kellen Winslow
, receiver Charlie Joiner
and place-kicker Rolf Benirschke
; however, the first Chargers team to advance to the Super Bowl (in 1994
, Super Bowl XXIX
) featured a strong defense anchored by linebacker Junior Seau
and an unspectacular but efficient offense led by quarterback Stan Humphries
and running back Natrone Means.
The stadium played host to the 1980 AFC Championship Game
, which the "Bolts
" would lose to AFC West
and in-state rival, the Oakland Raiders
, 34-27. The Chargers also hosted Wild Card and Divisional Playoff games here in 1980, 1992
, 1994, 1995
, 2004
, 2006
, 2007
, 2008
and 2009
, going 5-5 in all playoff games held at the stadium.
Since its inception, the stadium, which is approximately five miles from campus, has been the home of the San Diego State University
Aztecs. Before the building of the stadium, they had played their games at Balboa Stadium
and their small, on-campus stadium, the Aztec Bowl
(which is now the site of Viejas Arena, the home of the university's basketball teams). Traditionally, the team, clad in all-black uniforms and red helmets, has played its home games at night, a tradition started during the days of former head coach Don Coryell
before the stadium was even opened. There have been attempts in the past to change from "The Look," but all have led to poor play by the Aztecs and a reversion back to the traditional look.
champion (at the time, the hometown Aztecs had just joined this conference) against a nationally ranked opponent. The game has traditionally been a high-scoring affair, and prior to 2009 no team had ever managed to score less than ten points (which occurred in the 2006 game, when the Texas A&M
Aggies lost 45-10 to the California Golden Bears) and only 1/3 of the games have had a team even score less than twenty points. In the 2009 game, Arizona failed to score against Nebraska. The 1984 game is well-known for it being the culmination of BYU's championship season, the last championship not won by a member of the current BCS
alliance.
On December 22, 2005, a second bowl game came to San Diego when the inaugural San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl was played at Qualcomm, with Navy
beating Colorado State
.
tournaments, including the CONCACAF
Gold Cup, and the U.S. Cup
(an international invitational), as well as many international friendly matches involving the Mexican National Team
. The most recent international friendly at Qualcomm set an all-time attendance record for the sport in the region. The match between Mexico and Argentina
which was held on 4 June 2008 drew 68,498 spectators. The stadium has also hosted several international friendlies featuring teams such as Real Madrid
, Chivas
, Portsmouth FC and Club America
. In addition, Qualcomm Stadium was part of the 18-stadium United States 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bid
, but the United States did not win either bid for the World Cup.
The San Diego Sockers of the North American Soccer League
played at the stadium from 1978 to 1983.
San Diego Section Finals for high school
football
are held at Qualcomm Stadium. These usually take place on a Friday in early December, and four games are played (with eight teams representing four separate divisions, which are determined by the enrollment sizes of the individual schools).
Old Mission Beach Athletic Club RFC
play rugby union at the adjacent mini-stadium, so-called Little Q.
BMX Motocross and monster truck events have been held in the stadium as well.
ESPN
held their inaugural Moto X World Championships at Qualcomm in April 2008, and has previously used the stadium parking lot and surrounding streets as a venue in the X Games Street Luge competition.
. AEG
leased the area and retrofit it into an open-air amphitheater for concerts and other entertainment shows. The venue had the capability to hold 12,500, making it the second biggest entertainment venue in the Greater San Diego area; only Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre seats more.
Jehovah's Witnesses
usually host their District Conventions here, where thousands attend.
Billy Graham
has also held a few revivals here.
Many concerts have also been held inside the stadium over the years, by famous artists of many different genres.
Metallica
and Guns N' Roses
brought their co-headlining Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour
to the stadium on September 30, 1992, with Motörhead and Body Count
as their opening act's.
American Idol (season 7)
held auditions there in July 2007; a total of 30 people who auditioned there made it to the next round.
During the Cedar Fire
in October 2003 and the October 2007 California wildfires
, the stadium served as an evacuation site for those living in affected areas. (This was similar to the use of the Houston Astrodome and the New Orleans Superdome during Hurricane Katrina
). The Cedar Fire forced the Chargers to move a contest with the Miami Dolphins
to Tempe, Arizona
.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, the San Diego County Council of the Boy Scouts of America used the stadium's concourse areas (between the rear of the grandstands and the freestanding wall which contains the entrance gates) as well as portions of the parking lots as the site of its annual Scout Fair. (The San Diego County Council has since merged with the council representing Imperial County to form the San Diego-Imperial Council.)
In a January 30, 2009 episode of Monk
, Qualcomm Stadium was known as Summit Stadium in the episode Mr. Monk Makes the Playoffs with the fictitious San Francisco Condors as the hometeam.
The Little Q is a sports field, used primarily for rugby
located adjacent to Qualcomm Stadium, the Little Q is home to San Diego's Super League rugby team OMBAC
and the College Premier Division
San Diego State University
Aztec rugby team.
The team and city have both attempted to bring business partners in on the proposed $800 million project, which would be located in downtown San Diego's East Village and include upgrades to the area and infrastructure, but all efforts have failed so far. The Chargers had a clause in their contract, to the effect that if they paid off all debts to the city and county for the upgrades to the current stadium by 2007, then the team could pull out of its lease in 2008; however the clause has not, as yet, been activated.
The NFL has said that if San Diego wants to host another Super Bowl, it would have to be in a new stadium and not Qualcomm Stadium. In recent years, the NFL has awarded Super Bowl games to cities that have new stadiums.
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
, in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, in the Mission Valley area.
It is the current home of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
Aztecs college football team
San Diego State Aztecs football
The San Diego State football team represents the San Diego State Aztecs in college football. The Aztecs, a Division I FBS team and a member of the Mountain West Conference, play their home games at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The field is natural grass and has a maximum capacity of...
. It hosts the Bridgepoint Education
Bridgepoint Education
Bridgepoint Education is a San Diego, California-based publicly held, for-profit education services holding company which owns for-profit, online and land-based Ashford University and University of the Rockies.-History:...
Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
and the San Diego County Credit Union
San Diego County Credit Union
San Diego County Credit Union is a credit union based in San Diego, California. SDCCU was founded in 1938 as San Diego County Employees Credit Union and was formed to provide for the financial needs of local county government employees...
Poinsettia Bowl
Poinsettia Bowl
The Poinsettia Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that was created in 2005. The game was created by the organizers of the Holiday Bowl and is played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The game is currently sponsored by the San Diego...
college football games every December. Until 2003, it served as the home of the MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
.
The stadium has hosted three Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
games: Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII was an American football game played on January 31, 1988 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1987 regular season...
in 1988, Super Bowl XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played on January 25, 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1997 regular season...
in 1998, and Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
in 2003. It has also hosted the 1978
1978 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1978 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 49th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 11, 1978 at San Diego Stadium in San Diego, California, home of the...
and 1992
1992 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1992 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 63rd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 1992 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California, the...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
All-Star Games
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, the 1996
1996 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers:-Game 1, October 1:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Cardinals and Padres began their rivalry in this series. The Cardinals' first of three postseason victories against the Padres took place here. Their dominance is overwhelming to the tune of only one...
and 1998 National League Division Series
1998 National League Division Series
-Houston Astros vs. San Diego Padres:-Game 1, September 30:Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Braves faced the Chicago Cubs, who made it into the playoffs by beating the San Francisco Giants in a tiebreaker for the Wild Card spot. The Braves had sixteen more regular season wins and it showed in...
, the 1984
1984 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
and 1998 National League Championship Series
1998 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 7, 1998 at Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaWith John Smoltz on the mound, the Braves were staked out to a 1–0 lead when Andruw Jones hit a solo home run to lead off the third inning off Andy Ashby. The Padres tied the game in the fifth when Tony Gwynn, appearing in his...
, and the 1984
1984 World Series
The 1984 World Series began on October 9 and ended on October 14, 1984. The American League champion Detroit Tigers played against the National League champion San Diego Padres, with the Tigers winning the series four games to one....
and 1998 World Series
1998 World Series
The 1998 World Series, the 94th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, matched the New York Yankees against the San Diego Padres . The Yankees swept the Series in four games to capture their second championship in three years, and their 24th overall...
. It is the only stadium ever to host both the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same year (1998). It is one of three stadiums to host all three events, with the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
in Minneapolis and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
.
The stadium is located immediately northwest of the interchange of Interstate 8 and Interstate 15; the neighborhood surrounding the stadium is known as Mission Valley, in reference to the Mission San Diego de Alcala
Mission San Diego de Alcalá
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, in San Diego, California, was the first Franciscan mission in the Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was founded in 1769 by Spanish friar Junípero Serra in an area long inhabited by the Kumeyaay Indians...
, which is located to the east, and its placement in the valley of the San Diego River
San Diego River
The San Diego River is a river in San Diego County, California. It originates in the Cuyamaca Mountains northwest of the town of Julian, then flows to the southwest until it reaches the El Capitan Reservoir, the largest reservoir in the river's watershed at . Below El Capitan Dam, the river runs...
. The stadium is served by the Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego Trolley station)
Qualcomm Stadium is a station on San Diego Trolley's Green Line and Special Event Service Line. The elevated station has an island platform as well as side platforms. It is located in the parking lot of the Qualcomm Stadium, home to the San Diego Chargers football team, and is frequently used...
San Diego Trolley
San Diego Trolley
The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. The operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. , is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System ...
station, accessible via the Green Line and a Special Events line from the 12th and Imperial Transit Center.
History
In the early 1960s, local sportswriter Jack MurphyJack Murphy (sportswriter)
Jack Murphy was a sports editor and columnist for the San Diego Union newspaper from 1951-1980 and the brother of New York Mets broadcaster Bob Murphy...
, the brother of New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
broadcaster Bob Murphy
Bob Murphy (announcer)
Robert Allan Murphy was an American sportscaster who spent 50 years doing play-by-play of Major League Baseball games on television and radio. The Oklahoman was best known for announcing the New York Mets, from their inception in 1962 until his retirement in 2003...
, began to build up support for a multipurpose stadium for San Diego. In November 1965, a $27 million bond
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
was passed allowing construction to begin on a stadium, which was designed in the Brutalist style
Brutalist architecture
Brutalist architecture is a style of architecture which flourished from the 1950s to the mid 1970s, spawned from the modernist architectural movement.-The term "brutalism":...
. Construction on the stadium began one month later. When completed, the facility was named San Diego Stadium.
The Chargers (then a member of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
) played the first game ever at the stadium on August 20, 1967. San Diego Stadium had a capacity of around 50,000; the three-tier grandstand was in the shape of a horseshoe, with the east end low (consisting of only one tier, partially topped by a large scoreboard). The Chargers were the main tenant of the stadium until 1968, when the AAA Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres (PCL)
The San Diego Padres were a minor league baseball team which played in the Pacific Coast League from 1936 through 1968. The team that would eventually become the Padres was well traveled prior to moving to San Diego. It began its existence in 1903 as the Sacramento Solons, a charter member of the PCL...
baseball team played its last season in the stadium, following their move from the minor league sized Westgate Park
Westgate Park
Westgate Park was a former baseball stadium located in San Diego, California. The ballpark was home to the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League from 1958 to 1967.The ballpark was located in the Mission Valley region of San Diego...
. Due to expansion of Major League Baseball, this team was replaced by the current San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
major-league team beginning in the 1969 season. (The Padres moved out of Qualcomm Stadium following the 2003 season.)
Super Bowl XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played on January 25, 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1997 regular season...
in 1998, bringing the capacity to 70,561. Also in 1997, the facility was renamed Qualcomm Stadium after Qualcomm
Qualcomm
Qualcomm is an American global telecommunication corporation that designs, manufactures and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services based on its code division multiple access technology and other technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, USA...
Corporation paid $18 million for the naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
. The naming rights will belong to Qualcomm until 2017. In order to continue to honor Murphy, the city named the stadium site Jack Murphy Field. However, as part of the naming agreement Jack Murphy Field was not allowed to be used alongside Qualcomm Stadium. Some San Diegans, however, still refer to the stadium as "Jack Murphy" or simply "The Murph". Bob Murphy before his death in 2004, during New York Mets broadcasts still referred to it as Jack Murphy Stadium, even after it was renamed.
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
). Despite the theoretical improvements of this style, most of the seats were still very far away from the action on the field, especially during baseball games. It is one of the few "cookie-cutter" stadiums to still remain active, along with Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
.
Configurations
In order to accommodate the dimensions of both football and baseball fields, the stadium was constructed with half of the lower (Field Level) level seating built of permanent concrete (in the southern quadrant of the stadium), and the other half of portable modular construction using aluminum or steel framing.When the stadium was configured for baseball, the portable sections would be placed in the western quadrant of the stadium along the third base-left field side. Open bullpens were located along both foul lines just beyond the ends of the Field-level seats.
In the football configuration, the portable seating sections are placed in the northern quadrant of the stadium (covering what is used as left field in the baseball configuration) to allow for the football field to be laid out east-west (along the first base/right field foul line, with the western end zone placed in the area occupied by the portable seating sections in the baseball configuration, and the eastern end zone along the right-center field wall).
Doorways are cut in the walls of the stadium in order to allow access to these seats from the tunnel below the Plaza level in both configurations (in baseball configuration, the football doors could be seen above the left field inner wall; in football configuration, the baseball doors are visible above the west end zone, opposite the scoreboard). These doors are rolling metal overhead doors, with the field side painted to match the surrounding walls facing the field.
Seating Capacity
The seating capacity for baseball went as the following:- 50,000 (1967-1972)
- 44,790 (1973)
- 47,634 (1974-1975)
- 47,491 (1976)
- 48,460 (1977-1978)
- 51,362 (1979)
- 48,443 (1980)
- 51,362 (1981-1982)
- 51,319 (1983)
- 58,671 (1984)
- 58,396 (1985)
- 58,433 (1986-1988)
- 59,022 (1989-1990)
- 59,254 (1991)
- 59,700 (1992)
- 59,411 (1993)
- 46,510 (1994)
- 47,750 (1995)
- 49,639 (1996)
- 59,771 (1997)
- 67,544 (1998)
- 66,307 (1999-2002)
- 63,890 (2003-present)
The seating capacity for football went as the following:
- 52,596 (1967-1983)
- 60,100 (1984)
- 60,750 (1985-1991)
- 60,836 (1992-1996)
- 71,350 (1997-1998)
- 70,561 (1999-present)
The Padres
From their inception in 19691969 San Diego Padres season
was the first season for the San Diego Padres, who joined the National League along with the Montreal Expos. In their inaugural season, the Padres won 52 and lost 110, finishing last in the National League's newly-created Western Division, 41 games behind the division champion Atlanta...
until the end of 2003
2003 San Diego Padres season
-Offseason:* November 19, 2002: Jesse Orosco signed as a Free Agent with the San Diego Padres.*December 10, 2002: Jaret Wright signed as a Free Agent with the San Diego Padres.-Opening Day starters:*Gary Bennett*Sean Burroughs*Ryan Klesko*Mark Kotsay...
, when they moved into PETCO Park
PETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
in the downtown area, the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's San Diego Padres called the stadium home.
The baseball field dimensions had varied slightly over the years. In 1969, the distance from home plate to the left and right field wall was 330 feet (100.6 m), the distance to the left- and right-center field power alleys was 375 feet (114.3 m), and the distance from home plate to the center field was 420 feet (128 m). A 19 feet (5.8 m) wall, whose top was the rim of the Plaza level, surrounded the outfield, making home runs difficult to hit. Later, an eight-foot fence was erected, cutting the distances to 327, 368 and 405 feet (123.4 m), respectively. In 1996 a note of asymmetry was introduced when a 19 feet (5.8 m) high scoreboard displaying out-of-town scores was erected along the right-field wall near the foul pole and deemed to be in play, and so the distances to right field and right-center field were 330 feet (100.6 m) and 370 feet (112.8 m), respectively, while the remaining dimensions remained the same.
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
collected his 3000th major league base hit here on October 7, 2001
2001 San Diego Padres season
-Offseason:*November 3, 2000: Buddy Carlyle was purchased by Hanshin Tigers from the San Diego Padres.*December 10, 2000: Ernie Young was signed as a Free Agent with the San Diego Padres....
as a Padre, in what was also the last major league game for eight-time National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
batting champion and Hall of Famer: "Mr. Padre" Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
, who played his entire career here. Recent fans were treated to a recording of the song "Hell's Bells
Hells Bells (song)
"Hells Bells" is the first track of Australian hard rock band AC/DC's album Back in Black. It is the first song on their comeback album after the death of vocalist Bon Scott, introducing his successor Brian Johnson....
" by the heavy metal rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
whenever ace reliever Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
arrived in a game in the 9th inning in a save situation. Victories by both the Padres and Chargers have been celebrated by the playing of the song "Gettin' Jiggy With It" recorded by singer and actor Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
.
It was before a Padres game at the Murph against the Cincinnati Reds
1990 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 1990 season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Reds winning the National League West, as well as the National League Championship Series in six games over the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the World Series in a four-game sweep over the overwhelming favorite...
where comedian Roseanne Barr
Roseanne Barr
Roseanne Cherrie Barr is an American actress, comedian, writer, television producer and director. Barr began her career in stand-up comedy at clubs before gaining fame for her role in the sitcom Roseanne. The show was a hit and lasted nine seasons, from 1988 to 1997...
gave her infamous rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
" in 1990
1990 San Diego Padres season
-Offseason:* November 16, 1989: Don Schulze was released by the Padres.* December 6, 1989: Fred Lynn was signed as a free agent by the Padres.* December 6, 1989: Sandy Alomar, Jr., Carlos Baerga and Chris James were traded by the Padres to the Cleveland Indians for Joe Carter.* December 12, 1989:...
.
The Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
teams that played football here in the 1970s and 1980s featured a high-scoring offense led by quarterback Dan Fouts
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
and featuring running back Chuck Muncie
Chuck Muncie
Harry Vance "Chuck" Muncie is a former American football running back who played for the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers in the National Football League from 1976 to 1984...
, tight end Kellen Winslow
Kellen Winslow
Kellen Boswell Winslow is a former American football tight end with the Missouri Tigers and the San Diego Chargers. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the game. He is currently the athletic director at Central State University.Winslow did not play high...
, receiver Charlie Joiner
Charlie Joiner
Charles B. Joiner Jr. is a former American football player who starred in professional football for eighteen seasons, virtually exclusively at the position of wide receiver. He retired with the most career receptions, receiving yards, and games played of any wide receiver in NFL history. He was...
and place-kicker Rolf Benirschke
Rolf Benirschke
Rolf Joachim Benirschke is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1987, and was the host of the NBC daytime Wheel Of Fortune in 1989.-Early career:...
; however, the first Chargers team to advance to the Super Bowl (in 1994
1994 San Diego Chargers season
-Schedule:-Playoffs:-References:...
, Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
) featured a strong defense anchored by linebacker Junior Seau
Junior Seau
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and...
and an unspectacular but efficient offense led by quarterback Stan Humphries
Stan Humphries
William Stanley "Stan" Humphries is a former professional American football quarterback. He played for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He played college football at Northeast Louisiana...
and running back Natrone Means.
The stadium played host to the 1980 AFC Championship Game
NFL playoffs, 1980-81
The NFL playoffs following the 1980 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XV.Note: As per the rules of the NFL playoffs prior to the 1990 season , the San Diego Chargers did not play the Oakland Raiders in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.-AFC: Oakland Raiders 27,...
, which the "Bolts
1980 San Diego Chargers season
The 1980 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 12–4 record in 1979. They won their first playoff game in 17 years...
" would lose to AFC West
AFC West
The AFC West is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference, currently comprising the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders.-History:...
and in-state rival, the Oakland Raiders
1980 Oakland Raiders season
-Staff:HC: Tom FloresAst: Ray Willsey , Lew Erber , Sam Boghosian , Earl Leggett , Charlie Sumner , Chet Franklin , Steve Ortmayer , Bob Mischak , Joe Madro , Willie Brown -Regular season:...
, 34-27. The Chargers also hosted Wild Card and Divisional Playoff games here in 1980, 1992
1992 San Diego Chargers season
The 1992 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 1991. It was Bobby Ross' first season as the teams head coach. They made the playoffs for the first time in ten years...
, 1994, 1995
1995 San Diego Chargers season
The 1995 San Diego Chargers season began with the team as reigning AFC champions and trying to improve on their 11–5 record in 1994. It ended in the first round with a loss to the Indianapolis Colts....
, 2004
2004 San Diego Chargers season
The 2004 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 2003. They finished the campaign 1st in their division and made the playoffs for the first time in nine years. In the playoffs they lost in overtime to the New York Jets...
, 2006
2006 San Diego Chargers season
The 2006 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 9–7 record in 2005. They finished the campaign as the #1 seed in the AFC ending the season at 14–2, best record in the NFL...
, 2007
2007 San Diego Chargers season
The 2007 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to equal their 2006 regular season success and avoid another early departure in the playoffs. After a disappointing start under new head coach Norv Turner , they finished the regular season strong, with six straight wins, an overall...
, 2008
2008 San Diego Chargers season
The 2008 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 49th overall season and their 39th in the NFL. While they completed the regular season with only an 8–8 record, they nonetheless captured their third consecutive AFC West championship...
and 2009
2009 San Diego Chargers season
The 2009 San Diego Chargers season was the 50th season for the original American Football League team, and its 40th in the NFL. The Chargers improved upon their regular season record of 8–8 in 2008 and won their division for the fourth straight year and fifth time in six seasons...
, going 5-5 in all playoff games held at the stadium.
The Aztecs
Since its inception, the stadium, which is approximately five miles from campus, has been the home of the San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
Aztecs. Before the building of the stadium, they had played their games at Balboa Stadium
Balboa Stadium
Balboa Stadium is a football and soccer stadium located in San Diego, California. The original stadium was built in 1914 as part of the many buildings erected for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition located in Balboa Park. Originally called City Stadium, and designed by the Quayle Brothers...
and their small, on-campus stadium, the Aztec Bowl
Aztec Bowl (stadium)
Aztec Bowl was a stadium in San Diego, California. It hosted the San Diego State University Aztecs football team until they moved to Qualcomm Stadium in 1967. The stadium held 12,592 people at its peak and was opened in 1936. Currently Viejas Arena , the school's basketball arena, sits on the...
(which is now the site of Viejas Arena, the home of the university's basketball teams). Traditionally, the team, clad in all-black uniforms and red helmets, has played its home games at night, a tradition started during the days of former head coach Don Coryell
Don Coryell
Donald David Coryell was an American football coach, who coached in the NFL first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973–1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1986. He was well known for his innovations to football's passing offense. Coryell's offense was commonly known as "Air Coryell"...
before the stadium was even opened. There have been attempts in the past to change from "The Look," but all have led to poor play by the Aztecs and a reversion back to the traditional look.
College bowl games
Following the 1978 college football season, the stadium began hosting the Holiday Bowl, an annual bowl game held before New Year's Day. It originally hosted the Western Athletic ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
champion (at the time, the hometown Aztecs had just joined this conference) against a nationally ranked opponent. The game has traditionally been a high-scoring affair, and prior to 2009 no team had ever managed to score less than ten points (which occurred in the 2006 game, when the Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
Aggies lost 45-10 to the California Golden Bears) and only 1/3 of the games have had a team even score less than twenty points. In the 2009 game, Arizona failed to score against Nebraska. The 1984 game is well-known for it being the culmination of BYU's championship season, the last championship not won by a member of the current BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
alliance.
On December 22, 2005, a second bowl game came to San Diego when the inaugural San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl was played at Qualcomm, with Navy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
beating Colorado State
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
.
Soccer
Qualcomm Stadium has been a venue for many international soccer matches. The stadium has hosted FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
tournaments, including the CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
Gold Cup, and the U.S. Cup
United States Cup
U.S. Cup was a soccer cup held annually in the United States from 1991 to 2000, except for the World Cup years of 1994 and 1998...
(an international invitational), as well as many international friendly matches involving the Mexican National Team
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
. The most recent international friendly at Qualcomm set an all-time attendance record for the sport in the region. The match between Mexico and Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
which was held on 4 June 2008 drew 68,498 spectators. The stadium has also hosted several international friendlies featuring teams such as Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, Chivas
C.D. Guadalajara
Club Deportivo Guadalajara , is a Mexican professional football club based in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Guadalajara plays in the Primera División de México and is the most successful club in Mexican football, having won 11 First Division titles, 7 Campeón de Campeones and 2 Copa México...
, Portsmouth FC and Club America
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
. In addition, Qualcomm Stadium was part of the 18-stadium United States 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bid
United States 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bid
The United States Soccer Federation submitted a bid with the hope of hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. U.S. Soccer first said in February 2007 that it would put forth a bid for the 2018 World Cup. On 28 January 2009, U.S. Soccer announced that it would submit bids for both the 2018 and 2022 Cups...
, but the United States did not win either bid for the World Cup.
The San Diego Sockers of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
played at the stadium from 1978 to 1983.
Other sports
CIFCalifornia Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...
San Diego Section Finals for high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
are held at Qualcomm Stadium. These usually take place on a Friday in early December, and four games are played (with eight teams representing four separate divisions, which are determined by the enrollment sizes of the individual schools).
Old Mission Beach Athletic Club RFC
Old Mission Beach Athletic Club RFC
Old Mission Beach Athletic Club Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team based in San Diego, California. OMBAC RFC is directly affiliated with the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club...
play rugby union at the adjacent mini-stadium, so-called Little Q.
BMX Motocross and monster truck events have been held in the stadium as well.
ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
held their inaugural Moto X World Championships at Qualcomm in April 2008, and has previously used the stadium parking lot and surrounding streets as a venue in the X Games Street Luge competition.
Concerts on the Green
Concerts on the Green is a sports field converted into a music and entertainment venue, located on the southwest corner of the stadium parking lot. The field was originally used as a practice venue for the San Diego Chargers. After the team moved to Chargers Park about a mile north of the stadium, the area was used primarily for rugbyRugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
. AEG
Anschutz Entertainment Group
The Anschutz Entertainment Group is a sporting and music entertainment presenter and a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation. It is the world's largest owner of sports teams and sports events, the owner of the world’s most profitable sports and entertainment venues, and under AEG Live the world's...
leased the area and retrofit it into an open-air amphitheater for concerts and other entertainment shows. The venue had the capability to hold 12,500, making it the second biggest entertainment venue in the Greater San Diego area; only Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre seats more.
Other uses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
usually host their District Conventions here, where thousands attend.
Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
has also held a few revivals here.
Many concerts have also been held inside the stadium over the years, by famous artists of many different genres.
Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
brought their co-headlining Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour
Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour
The Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour was a famed joint, co-headlining concert tour by the American rock bands Guns N' Roses and Metallica during 1992...
to the stadium on September 30, 1992, with Motörhead and Body Count
Body Count
Body Count is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1990. The group is fronted by rapper and actor Ice-T, who founded the group out of his interest in heavy metal music, taking on the role of vocalist and writing the lyrics for most of the group's songs. Lead guitarist...
as their opening act's.
American Idol (season 7)
American Idol (season 7)
The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges...
held auditions there in July 2007; a total of 30 people who auditioned there made it to the next round.
During the Cedar Fire
Cedar Fire
The Cedar Fire was a human-caused wildfire that burned out of control through a large area of San Diego County, in Southern California, in October 2003...
in October 2003 and the October 2007 California wildfires
October 2007 California wildfires
The October 2007 California wildfires were a series of wildfires that began burning across Southern California on October 20. At least 1,500 homes were destroyed and over 500,000 acres of land burned from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.–Mexico border...
, the stadium served as an evacuation site for those living in affected areas. (This was similar to the use of the Houston Astrodome and the New Orleans Superdome during Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
). The Cedar Fire forced the Chargers to move a contest with the Miami Dolphins
2003 Miami Dolphins season
The 2003 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 38th as a member of the National Football League. The Dolphins improved upon their previous season's output of 9–7, instead winning 10 games. This marked the second consecutive winning season for the team, however, they failed to clinch a playoff berth...
to Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, the San Diego County Council of the Boy Scouts of America used the stadium's concourse areas (between the rear of the grandstands and the freestanding wall which contains the entrance gates) as well as portions of the parking lots as the site of its annual Scout Fair. (The San Diego County Council has since merged with the council representing Imperial County to form the San Diego-Imperial Council.)
In a January 30, 2009 episode of Monk
Monk (TV series)
Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
, Qualcomm Stadium was known as Summit Stadium in the episode Mr. Monk Makes the Playoffs with the fictitious San Francisco Condors as the hometeam.
The Little Q
The Little Q is a sports field, used primarily for rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
located adjacent to Qualcomm Stadium, the Little Q is home to San Diego's Super League rugby team OMBAC
Old Mission Beach Athletic Club RFC
Old Mission Beach Athletic Club Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team based in San Diego, California. OMBAC RFC is directly affiliated with the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club...
and the College Premier Division
College Premier Division
College Premier Division is the highest level of collegiate rugby within the United States of America. It is administered by USA Rugby and modeled after NCAA athletic competitions with the schools broken up into four conferences, the Rugby East, Mid-South, Western, and Pacific...
San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
Aztec rugby team.
The future
With the departure of the Padres following the 2003 season and even beforehand, there has been much talk of replacing the increasingly obsolete (by NFL standards) stadium with a more modern, football-only one. There have been many problems with this project, the most obvious one being the city's inability to fund such a stadium.The team and city have both attempted to bring business partners in on the proposed $800 million project, which would be located in downtown San Diego's East Village and include upgrades to the area and infrastructure, but all efforts have failed so far. The Chargers had a clause in their contract, to the effect that if they paid off all debts to the city and county for the upgrades to the current stadium by 2007, then the team could pull out of its lease in 2008; however the clause has not, as yet, been activated.
The NFL has said that if San Diego wants to host another Super Bowl, it would have to be in a new stadium and not Qualcomm Stadium. In recent years, the NFL has awarded Super Bowl games to cities that have new stadiums.