🏛 Historic Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium — opened August 20, 1967 as San Diego Stadium and later known as Jack Murphy Stadium and SDCCU Stadium — stood for over five decades as the anchor of San Diego professional and collegiate sports. Designed in a Brutalist style by Frank L. Hope and Associates and built for approximately $27.75 million, the 70,561-seat venue at 9449 Friars Road in Mission Valley became one of the most versatile multi-purpose stadiums of its era.
Over its lifetime the stadium was home to three major tenants: the San Diego Chargers (NFL, 1967–2016), the San Diego Padres (MLB, 1969–2003), and the San Diego State Aztecs football team (1967–2019). It hosted three Super Bowls — XXII, XXXII, and XXXVII — and in 1998 achieved a distinction that remains unique: it was the only stadium ever to host both a Super Bowl and a World Series in the same calendar year. The venue closed in March 2020, and demolition was completed by March 22, 2021.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: 9449 Friars Road, San Diego, California
- Opened: August 20, 1967
- Closed: March 2020
- Demolished: March 22, 2021 (last section fell)
- Capacity (Football): 70,561
- Capacity (Baseball): 67,544
- Primary Tenants: San Diego Chargers (NFL), San Diego Padres (MLB), San Diego State Aztecs
- Super Bowls Hosted: XXII (1988), XXXII (1998), XXXVII (2003)
- Notable: Only stadium to host a Super Bowl and World Series in the same year (1998)
A Home for Three Tenants and Three Super Bowls
From its first season, Qualcomm Stadium juggled both football and baseball configurations, accommodating the Chargers on the gridiron and the Padres on the diamond with a convertible playing surface of Bandera Bermuda Grass. The San Diego State Aztecs also called it home for college football across more than five decades. This flexibility made the venue a natural choice for marquee events, and the NFL awarded it three Super Bowls — a number few American stadiums have matched.
The 1998 season crystallized the stadium’s singular place in sports history. Super Bowl XXXII was played there in January, and that October the San Diego Padres hosted the World Series on the same field — a combination that has never been repeated at any other venue in American sports history.
Final Years and Demolition
The stadium’s final chapter unfolded as each of its major tenants departed. The Padres relocated to Petco Park in 2004, and the Chargers left for Los Angeles after the 2016 season. The Aztecs played their final game there in 2019 before moving to Snapdragon Stadium. The venue hosted its last public events in early March 2020 before permanently closing as the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Demolition crews moved in by December 2020, and the last freestanding structure came down on March 22, 2021. The site is now being redeveloped as SDSU Mission Valley, a mixed-use campus for San Diego State University — a new chapter for the land that once roared with NFL crowds and Super Bowl spectacle.
Explore more: Explore more historic stadiums.
Qualcomm Stadium FAQs
What were all the names of Qualcomm Stadium?
The stadium went through four official names: San Diego Stadium (1967–1980), Jack Murphy Stadium (1981–1997), Qualcomm Stadium (1997–2017), and SDCCU Stadium (2017–2020). ‘Qualcomm’ became the most widely remembered name after Qualcomm Corporation paid $18 million for naming rights in 1997.
Which Super Bowls were held at Qualcomm Stadium?
Three Super Bowls were played there: Super Bowl XXII in January 1988, Super Bowl XXXII in January 1998, and Super Bowl XXXVII in January 2003.
What replaced Qualcomm Stadium after demolition?
After demolition was completed in March 2021, the Mission Valley site began redevelopment as SDSU Mission Valley — a mixed-use urban campus for San Diego State University, including academic buildings, housing, a river park, and Snapdragon Stadium nearby.
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Photo: The original uploader was Intersofia at English Wikipedia. / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.