Qualcomm Stadium

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In the early 1960s, sportswriter Jack Murphy campaigned for a new multi-purpose stadium. A $27 million bond passed in November 1965 allowed construction to begin one month later on this Brutalist-style facility. It was the first of the square-circle "octorad" style, designed to host both football and baseball, though many seats remained distant from the action during baseball games. The Chargers played the inaugural game on August 20, 1967. In 1983, over 9,000 bleachers were added to the lower deck, raising capacity to 59,022. A major renovation in 1997 fully enclosed the stadium (except for the scoreboard area) and added nearly 11,000 seats, bringing total capacity to 70,561 ahead of Super Bowl XXXII. The original black-and-white scoreboard was replaced in 1978 by the first full-color outdoor board ever built, which was later upgraded to a Sony JumboTron in 1996.

In Their Own Story

The stadium witnessed history as the only venue to host both a Super Bowl and a World Series in the same year: 1998. That year, it hosted Super Bowl XXXII and the World Series, joining the Metrodome and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as one of three stadiums to ever host the Super Bowl, World Series, and MLB All-Star Game. It staged three Super Bowls total (XXII in 1988, XXXII in 1998, and XXXVII in 2003). For baseball fans, it hosted the 1978 and 1992 All-Star Games, plus the National League Division Series in 1996 and 1998, and the National League Championship Series in 1984 and 1998. The Chargers played their final home game there in the 2016 season before relocating to become the Los Angeles Chargers, while the Padres moved to Petco Park after 2003.

Reader's Guide

Fans experienced a unique configuration where portable modular seating allowed the stadium to switch between football and baseball. For football, these sections were placed in the northern quadrant to allow an east-west field layout; for baseball, they moved to the western quadrant along third base-left field. Open bullpens sat beyond the Field-level seats on both foul lines. From 1999 to 2003, the home plate area was shaped like a home plate rather than a circle. The stadium hosted the San Diego State Aztecs from 1967 through 2019 and served as the venue for the Holiday Bowl every December from 1978 to 2019. It also held the Poinsettia Bowl from 2005 until its final edition in 2016. In a brief marketing stunt in December 2011, it was temporarily renamed "Snapdragon Stadium" for 10 days, though this legal move faced challenges due to lack of City Council approval.

Did You Know?

• The stadium was the only venue ever to host both a Super Bowl and a World Series in the same year (1998).
• In 1978, it installed the first full-color outdoor scoreboard ever built.
• The stadium was temporarily renamed 'Snapdragon Stadium' for a single day (December 13, 2011) as a marketing tie-in, despite legal challenges from the City Attorney.
• It hosted three Super Bowls: XXII (1988), XXXII (1998), and XXXVII (2003).
• The final freestanding section of the stadium fell on March 22, 2021, ending its demolition.

A Legacy of Naming Rights

The stadium's identity shifted multiple times over five decades. It opened as San Diego Stadium in 1967. Following Jack Murphy's death in September 1980, the San Diego City Council voted 6–2 on January 6, 1981, to rename it San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. In 1997, Qualcomm Corporation purchased naming rights for $18 million, changing the name to Qualcomm Stadium. This agreement lasted until June 14, 2017, when rights expired and were bought by San Diego County Credit Union. The new name, SDCCU Stadium, took effect on September 19, 2017, before those rights also expired in December 2020. To honor Murphy during the Qualcomm era, the city designated the site "Jack Murphy Field," though the naming agreement prohibited using that name alongside "Qualcomm Stadium." Despite this, many fans continued calling it "The Murph." Even after demolition began in late 2020, the legacy endured until the final section fell on March 22, 2021.

Home to Professional Titans

This venue hosted two major professional franchises for decades. The San Diego Chargers (NFL) played their first game here on August 20, 1967, and remained tenants through the 2016 season before moving to Los Angeles. The San Diego Padres (MLB), who replaced the minor league team in 1969, called it home until the end of the 2003 season, when they moved to downtown's Petco Park. Additionally, the stadium hosted the San Diego Sockers of the North American Soccer League from 1978 through the 1984 season. The "octorad" design was intended to optimize both sports but drew criticism for placing spectators too far from the field during baseball games. By the late 2000s, discussions arose about replacing the facility with a modern football-only stadium, but funding challenges persisted until the Chargers' departure in 2017.

Collegiate Heartland and Bowl Games

San Diego State University's Aztecs used the stadium as their home field from 1967 through 2019. The venue was also a staple of college football postseason play, hosting the Holiday Bowl every December from 1978 to 2019. It additionally hosted the Poinsettia Bowl from 2005 until its discontinuation after the 2016 edition. The final sporting event at the stadium was the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl on December 27, 2019, where Iowa defeated USC. Demolition commenced in December 2020. In 2020, SDSU purchased the site for a noncontiguous campus expansion known as SDSU Mission Valley. This project led to the opening of Snapdragon Stadium in 2022, which now serves as the new home for Aztec football.

Unrivaled Championship Pedigree

The stadium achieved a rare feat by hosting three Super Bowls: XXII (1988), XXXII (1998), and XXXVII (2003). It was the most recent multi-purpose stadium to host the NFL title game. On the baseball side, it hosted the World Series in 1984 and 1998, as well as All-Star Games in 1978 and 1992. It also hosted National League Division Series games in 1996 and 1998, and Championship Series in 1984 and 1998. In a unique historical moment in 1998, it became the only stadium ever to host both the Super Bowl and World Series in the same year. Along with the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, it is one of only three stadiums to have hosted all three major events: a Super Bowl, a World Series, and an MLB All-Star Game.