A new stadium is nearing completion in San Diego, California. Snapdragon Stadium will be home to San Diego State Aztecs football team. It will also be home to theĀ San Diego Wave FC and theĀ San Diego Legion. Snapdragon is replacing the iconic San Diego Stadium which was home to NFL’s San Diego Chargers who left for Los Angeles in 2017.

Soon after the Chargers left, plans began for a new home for the Aztecs. San Diego State University bought the old stadium in 2020 and groundbreaking took place a week later. Snapdragon Stadium is named after Qualcomm’s SnapdragonĀ brand of mobile device processors.

The stadium is part of the SDSU Mission Valley mixed use development which will also have transit, retail, housing, and community parks.

Crazy To Drone

Location History

San Diego Stadium

San Diego Stadium opened in 1967 and had multiple names along the years. It was renamed Jack Murphy Stadium in the 80s and Qualcomm Stadium stadium in the late 90s, after the San Diego-based telecommunications equipment companyĀ Qualcomm. In 2017 the name changed to SDCCU Stadium an acronym for San Diego County Credit Union which purchased the naming rights the same year. It hosted 3 super bowls and was home to the San Diego Chargers and the San Diego Padres until 2003.

Snapdragon Stadium site in 1953.
Aerial view of same location in 1953 about 12 years before construction began and before Interstate 15.
San Diego stadium construction in 1966.
Construction in 1966. The Chargers would play their first game in the stadium by 1967.
SDCCU Stadium in 2020
SDCCU Stadium in 2020 before being demolished.
New Snapdragon stadium construction in 2021
New Snapdragon stadium construction in 2021.
LaBreeceTV

The stadium could sit up to 70,000 people for football and 63,000 for baseball. Demolition began in December, 2020 and was complete by March 2021.

SDSU Mission Valley 

In addition to the stadium, SDSU Mission Valley mixed use development will have:

  • Over 1.6 million square feet of academic and research space.
  • Over 80 acres of open space with a River Park, athletic and recreational fields.
  • More than 4,600 residential units, including student, faculty, and staff housing.
  • 95,000 square feet of retail shops and business space.
  • Approximately 400 hotel rooms with 40,000 square feet of conference space.
  • More than 4 miles of hiking and biking trails.
New Snapdragon Stadium