Conceived by Clark Construction Group, with Gensler Sports as the lead designer, San Diego State University (SDSU)’s new Snapdragon Stadium reflects the city of San Diego through design features such as concourse level “neighborhoods,” and standing-room-only piers, jutting out over the stadium seating to conjure a coastal vibe; creating a venue true to the city.
Designed as a hub for sports and entertainment, the 67 ha (166-acre), 35,000-capacity venue is the home of the SDSU Aztecs football team, and hosts professional and collegiate soccer, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship games, concerts, and other cultural events.
The stadium was developed after two years of intensive construction. To make way for the new venue, Clark Group demolished Qualcomm Stadium, the former home of the San Diego Chargers. Crews then erected the structure using a combination of cast-in-place concrete, precast concrete, and steel. To shape the stadium, they raised the site to nearly 9.2 m (30 ft) and erected 2500 steel beams.
The stadium is a part of the first phase of development at SDSU Mission Valley, a mixed-use, medium-density, transit-oriented development seeking to expand the university’s educational, research, entrepreneurial, and technology programs. An Innovation District is projected to provide educational opportunities for up to 15,000 additional students and, once complete, SDSU Mission Valley will also include retail, housing, and development of community parks and open space.
“We appreciate all the hard work to get Snapdragon Stadium complete in time for our first game against Arizona,” said J.D. Wicker, director of intercollegiate athletics at SDSU. “We are looking forward to fans coming to a stadium that they can be proud of—a stadium that is authentic to San Diego. We feel we’ve created an unmatched experience in collegiate athletics, and in all events that come to the stadium.”
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