Spartan Stadium (San Jose)

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Spartan Stadium
Location	1257 S 10th St San José, CA 95112
Broke ground	1933
Opened	1933
Owner	San José State University
Operator	San José State University
Surface	Grass
Construction cost	$1.5 million USD (expansion)
Tenants
SJSU Spartans (WAC) (1933-present) San Jose Earthquakes(NASL) (1974-1984) San Jose Clash/Earthquakes (MLS) (1996-2005) Bay Area/San Jose CyberRays (WUSA) (2001-2003)
Capacity
30,578 (Football & Soccer)

Spartan Stadium, located in San Jose, California, is the football stadium of the San José State University Spartans. It is currently the home of the Spartan football and soccer teams. Spartan Stadium was the home of the San Jose Earthquakes (originally San José Clash) of Major League Soccer from the league's inception in 1996 through the 2005 season. Past tenants have included the old San Jose Earthquakes of the North American Soccer League from 1974 to 1984, and the San Jose CyberRays of the Women's United Soccer Association from 2001 to 2003.

On January 12, 2007, it was announced that Oakland Athletics owner Lewis Wolff had a tentative proposal that would build a new football/soccer stadium just east of Spartan Stadium, which would serve as a replacement to Spartan Stadium as well and housing an expansion MLS club. The Stadium is tentatively scheduled to open in 2009, and calls for the current stadium to be replaced by a parking garage. [1]

[edit] Stadium history

Originally built in 1933 as a 4,000-seat facility, it has been renovated and expanded over the years to its present 31,000 seat capacity, with private boxes and upper seating areas for additional fans. The most recent additions came in the late 1980s with the capacity of the stadium increased from 18,000 to its present capacity of 30,578. For MLS games however capacity is limited to 26,525.

Around 2004 the stadium had come under criticism from the Earthquakes management. The field is narrow by soccer standards (70 yards wide), since it was designed for NCAA football. In addition the stadium's eastern bleachers are still made partly of wood and the stadium has no jumbotron style video boards. The team had expressed interest in a new soccer-specific stadium in San José or elsewhere.

Spartan Stadium has played host to 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. In addition several concerts have been played in the stadium over the years. Spartan Stadium is only 1 block from San Jose Municipal Stadium, home of the San Jose Giants, the High A minor league baseball affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Municipal Stadium is also home to the San Jose State University Spartans college baseball team for some regular season games (other regular season games and practice are played across Alma Avenue at Blethen Field).

The defunct NCAA football Silicon Valley Football Classic was held there from 2000 to 2004.

Preceded by first stadium

Home of the San Jose Earthquakes 1996–2005

Succeeded by last stadium

Football Stadiums of the Western Athletic Conference
Aggie Memorial Stadium (New Mexico State) • Joe Aillet Stadium (Louisiana Tech) • Aloha Stadium (Hawaii) • Bronco Stadium (Boise State) • Bulldog Stadium (Fresno State) • Mackay Stadium (Nevada) • Kibbie Dome (Idaho) • Romney Stadium (Utah State) • Spartan Stadium (San José State)