The San Diego Chargers vs the Tennessee Titans during their 2006 home opener at Qualcomm Stadium.
History Home of the San Diego Chargers for more than three decades, Qualcomm Stadium looks much different than it did when it opened. In the early 1960’s sportswriter Jack Murphy began to build up support for a multipurpose stadium for the area. When built, the stadium would become home of the Charges and a MLB team, that the city hoped to attract. In November of 1965, a $27 million referendum was passed allowing construction to began on the stadium. Construction began one month later. When completed, the facility was named San Diego Stadium.
The Chargers played the first game ever at the stadium on August 20, 1967. San Diego Stadium had a capacity of around 50,000 multicolored seats when it opened. The three tier grandstand was in the shape of a horseshoe, with the south end open. The team was the main tenant of the stadium until 1969, when MLB granted the area a team, the Padres. 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, over 7,000 club seats, and the Charges Gold Club which is available to Charges season ticket holders, and allows service at their seats, and access to air conditioned lounges.
Qualcomm Stadium Location: San Diego, CA Tenant: San Diego Chargers Capacity: 71,500 Surface: Grass Construction Began: December 1965 Opened: August 20, 1967 Cost: $27 Million Architect: Unknown Stadium Address: 9449 Friars Road San Diego, CA 92108
New Stadium, Major Renovation, or Chargers leave? This multi-purpose stadium is getting old. It is the 3rd oldest stadium in the NFL. And now the Chargers being the sole tenant of the stadium, as the Padres have moved into their own ballpark, Petco Park. Currently, the Chargers are looking into possibly building their own stadium in the San Diego area. But there are numerous issues standing in their way.
Click here for the story on the Chargers new stadium proposals
