CEFCU Stadium

CEFCU Stadium, formerly known as Spartan Stadium from 1933 to 2015, is an outdoor athletic stadium in the western United States, located in San Jose, California. Owned by San José State University, the venue is the longtime home of Spartan football. The stadium also hosts occasional high school football games and the university commencement ceremony every year on Memorial Day weekend.[2] Known as Spartan Stadium for over eight decades, it was renamed in 2016.

CEFCU Stadium
Spartan Stadium, 2007
CEFCU Stadium
Location in San Jose
CEFCU Stadium
Location in California
CEFCU Stadium
Location in the United States
Former namesSpartan Stadium (1933–2015)
Address1257 S. 10th St.
LocationSan Jose, California
Coordinates37°19′11″N 121°52′6″W
Public transit Tamien
OwnerSan Jose State University
OperatorSan Jose State University
Capacity21,520 (2019–present)
30,456[1] (2000–18)
31,218 (1985–99)
18,155 (1948–84)
11,000 (1937–47)
  8,500 (1936–36)
  4,000 (1933–35)
SurfaceAstroTurf (2017–present)
FieldTurf (2009–2017)
Natural grass (1933–2008)
Construction
Broke ground1933
Opened1933, 88 years ago
Expanded1936–1937, 1948, 1985
Construction costUS$1.5 million (expansion)
Tenants
San Jose State Spartans (NCAA) (1933–present)
San Jose Earthquakes (NASL/WSA)
(1974–1988)
San Francisco Bay Blackhawks/San Jose Hawks (WSA/APSL/USISL) (1989–1993)
San Jose Clash/Earthquakes (MLS) (1996–2005)
Bay Area/San Jose CyberRays (WUSA) (2001–2003)
Silicon Valley Football Classic (NCAA) (2000–2004)
San Francisco Dragons (MLL) (2008)
California Redwoods (UFL) (2009)

CEFCU Stadium was the home of the San Jose Earthquakes (originally San Jose Clash) of Major League Soccer from the league's inception in 1996 through the 2005 season. Other tenants have included the original San Jose Earthquakes of the North American Soccer League from 1974 to 1984, the San Jose CyberRays of the Women's United Soccer Association from 2001 to 2003, and the San Francisco Dragons of Major League Lacrosse in 2008. Soccer Bowl '75 was also held at Spartan Stadium.

During the winter and spring of 2009, the stadium's natural turf was removed and replaced with FieldTurf, a new generation of artificial turf with a crumb rubber and sand infill. This improvement has resulted in significant savings to the university in water use, fertilizer and seed. This project was completed in time for the May 2009 commencement ceremony.[3]

The stadium also received significant upgrades to the scoreboard and sound system in 2011.[4] This included installation of a HD video board (commonly called a JumboTron) by Daktronics at the south end of the stadium.[5]

Stadium history

Originally built 88 years ago in 1933 as a 4,000-seat facility, CEFCU Stadium has been renovated and expanded over the years to its present seating capacity of 30,456.[1] The most recent additions came in the 1980s when the capacity of the stadium was expanded from 18,000 to approximately 33,000 by adding boxes and an upper deck on the west side. In the early 2000s, renovations were carried out for the San Jose Earthquakes in order to make the field wide enough for a FIFA regulation size field. As a result of these renovations, parts of the stands closest to the playing field were removed, thus lowering available seating for all sports to the stadium's present capacity of 30,456. The maximum capacity for MLS games is 26,525.

In August 2016, Citizens Equity First Credit Union purchased naming rights to Spartan Stadium for $8.7 million. The deal between CEFCU and San José State University will last for 15 years. SJSU is the only university in the California State University system to sell naming rights to its football stadium. At the time, SJSU was one of three member universities in the Mountain West Conference to strike such a deal, with one other MW member playing in a municipally owned stadium that was also named through such a deal. Two more MW schools have since made similar naming rights deals for their football stadiums.[6] The $8.7 million raised by the agreement will primarily be used for athletic scholarships, athletics operations, and athletics facilities.[7]

Renovations

A CEFCU Stadium east-side building addition is currently in the planning stages and will cost approximately $40 million. The proposed facility will house a new operations center, which will include locker rooms, offices, an auditorium and seating on the 50-yard line. The project will also include a major renovation of the stadium's entire east side.[8]

Other uses

The now defunct NCAA Silicon Valley Football Classic bowl game was held at CEFCU Stadium from 2000 to 2004.

CEFCU Stadium has hosted numerous FIFA events. Most notably the stadium was used as one of the venues for the 1999 Women's World Cup.

The stadium also hosts the commencement ceremonies of San José State University every spring, as well as musical concerts throughout the year. CEFCU Stadium is only one block from San Jose Municipal Stadium, home of the San Jose Giants, the High A minor league baseball affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.

International soccer matches
DateCompetitionTeamResTeamCrowd
14 Feb 1986 International Friendly  Mexico 1–2  East Germany 6,000
19 Jun 1999 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup
Group C		  Japan 1–1  Canada 23,298
19 Jun 1999 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup
Group D		  Sweden 1–2  China PR 23,298
30 Jun 1999 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup
Quarter-finals		  China PR 2–0  Russia 21,411
30 Jun 1999 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup
Quarter-finals		  Norway 3–1  Sweden 21,411
27 Sep 2000 International Friendly  Mexico 1–0  Bolivia 30,154
  • Spartan Stadium, San Jose CA – 1933
  • Spartan Stadium – San Jose State vs. Boise State – 2008
  • Spartan Stadium – Aerial view at night – 2008
  • First season using new "FieldTurf" playing surface, San Jose State vs. Utah – 2009
  • The Spartan Stadium field in 2015
  • Aerial from the southwest, 2017

See also

References
  1. www.nmnathletics.com
  2. "Campus Grounds: South Campus". SJSU Athletics. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 7, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "SJSU in the News: Spartan Stadium Upgrades Scoreboards, Sound System | SJSU News". Blogs.sjsu.edu. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  5. "25 New College Football Systems". Daktronics.com. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  6. Lyell, Kelly (April 19, 2018). "CSU's on-campus stadium naming rights sell for $37.7 million". Coloradoan. Fort Collins, CO. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  7. "SJSU & CEFCU Announcement Enhanced long-term Partnership Agreement for Spartan Stadium".
  8. "SJSU RECEIVES $5 MILLION SIGNED GIFT COMMITMENT FROM LARRY & DEIRDRE SOLARI". San Jose State University. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
Preceded by
first stadium		 Home of the
San Jose Earthquakes
1996–2005		 Succeeded by
Buck Shaw Stadium
2008–2014
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum (big game venue)
2008–2009
Preceded by
Grant Field		 Host of the College Cup
1969		 Succeeded by
Ralph Korte Stadium
Preceded by
UNCG Soccer Stadium		 Host of the Women's College Cup
1999–2000		 Succeeded by
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
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