CEFCU Stadium

CEFCU ('sef-kyü) Stadium, formerly known as Spartan Stadium, is an outdoor athletic stadium on the west coast of the United States, located in the Spartan Keyes neighborhood of central San Jose, California. Owned by San José State University, the venue is the longtime home of Spartan football; it also hosts the university's commencement ceremony on Memorial Day weekend, and occasional high school football games.[2] Known as Spartan Stadium for over eight decades, it was renamed in 2016.

CEFCU Stadium
View from northwest in 2007
San Jose is located in the United States
San Jose
San Jose
Location in the United States
San Jose is located in California
San Jose
San Jose
Location in California
Former namesSpartan Stadium
(1933–2015)
Address1257 S. 10th Street
LocationSan Jose, California, U.S.
Coordinates37°19′11″N 121°52′6″W
Public transitSanta Clara VTA Caltrain Tamien
OwnerSan Jose State University
OperatorSan Jose State University
Capacity21,520 (2019–present)
30,456 (1998–2018)
31,218 (1985–1997)
18,155 (1948–1984)
11,000 (1937–1947)
  8,500 (1936)
  4,000 (1933–1935)
SurfaceAstroTurf (2017–present)
FieldTurf (2009–2017)
Natural grass (1933–2008)
Construction
Broke ground1933
Opened1933 (1933)
Expanded1936–1937, 1948, 1985
Construction costUS $2.25 million (1985 expansion)[1]
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 CEFCU.

During the winter and spring of 2009, the stadium's natural grass playing field was removed and replaced with FieldTurf, a new generation of artificial turf with a crumb rubber and sand infill.[3] This improvement resulted in significant savings to the university in water use, fertilizer, seed and labor. The FieldTurf playing surface was later replaced with AstroTurf Rhino Blend in 2017.[4] The playing field is aligned north-northwest to south-southeast, at an approximate elevation of 100 feet (30 m) above sea level.

The stadium also received significant upgrades to the scoreboard and sound system in 2011 and 2020.[5] This included installation of an HD video screen by Daktronics at the south end of the stadium in 2011, and a new, much larger video board at the north end in 2020.[6][7]

Stadium history
Spartan Stadium, 1950s

CEFCU stadium officially opened in 1933 as a 4,000-seat facility. The stadium featured large berms on the east, west, north and south sides of the field, which gave the stadium a "sunken bowl" appearance. The stadium's seating capacity was increased to 8,500 in 1936, and later expanded incrementally to a total seating capacity of just over 18,000 by 1948. The most recent additions came in the 1980s when the capacity of the stadium was expanded from approximately 18,000 to just over 31,000 by adding end zone bleachers, an upper deck and boxes on the west side.

In 1998, the field was widened and other renovations were carried out for the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team in accordance with official FIFA regulations.[8] 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 30,456. Seating capacity remained at 30,456 until 2019, when it was temporarily reduced to 21,520 as part of a massive east-side stadium renovation project. The project is scheduled to be completed in August 2023.

In August 2016, Citizens Equity First Credit Union purchased sole naming rights to Spartan Stadium for $8.7 million. The deal between CEFCU and San José State University will last for 15 years. SJSU was the first university in the California State University system and second university in the state of California to strike such a deal.[9] The CEFCU sponsorship deal marked the third such arrangement among the 12 Mountain West Conference football members.[10] The $8.7 million payout will primarily be used for athletic scholarships, athletics operations, and athletics facilities.[11]

Spartan Athletics Center and East-side Renovations

A CEFCU Stadium east-side building addition is currently under construction at a projected cost of $57.6 million.[12] Known as the Spartan Athletics Center, the 55,000 square-foot, multi-story facility will house a new football operations center, locker rooms, offices, meeting and training rooms and a sports medicine center.[13] The facility will also include soccer team offices and locker rooms, as well as dining and hospitality facilities, event spaces and premium viewing areas.[14] Along with construction of the SAC, a major renovation of the stadium's entire east side is currently underway.

The east-side stadium renovation has temporarily reduced seating capacity at CEFCU Stadium from just over 30,000 to 21,520.[15] Approximately 9,000 seats were removed from the stadium in 2019 to make way for the new building. This includes virtually all of the east-side stadium seating and some of the north end zone bleachers. The north end zone bleachers were removed to make way for construction of a new state-of-the-art video scoreboard and outdoor bar and lounge area. The new scoreboard was completed in 2020. SAC construction and the east and north-side stadium renovations are projected to be completed in August 2023.[16]

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 has hosted commencement ceremonies of San José State University every spring, as well as musical concerts throughout the year.

International soccer matches
DateCompetitionTeamResTeamCrowd
14 Feb 1986 International Friendly  Mexico 1–2  East Germany 6,000
6 Nov 1998 International Friendly  United States 0-0 Australia 15,074
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 23,298
30 Jun 1999 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup
Quarter-finals		  China 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
2 Jun 2007 International Friendly  United States 4–1  China 20,821
  • Spartan Stadium, San Jose, California — 1933
    Spartan Stadium, San Jose, California — 1933
  • Proposed Expansion — 1960s
    Proposed Expansion — 1960s
  • Spartan Stadium – San Jose State vs. Boise State — 2008
    Spartan Stadium – San Jose State vs. Boise State — 2008
  • Spartan Stadium – Aerial view at night — 2008
    Spartan Stadium – Aerial view at night — 2008
  • First season using new "FieldTurf" playing surface, San Jose State vs. Utah – 2009
    First season using new "FieldTurf" playing surface, San Jose State vs. Utah – 2009
  • The Spartan Stadium field in 2015
    The Spartan Stadium field in 2015
  • Aerial view from the southwest, 2017
    Aerial view from the southwest, 2017

Nearby venues

CEFCU Stadium is only one block from several local professional sports teams and arenas, including:

See also

References
  1. Herb Muktarian (September 6, 1985). "Project's 3-year history outlined". SJSU ScholarWorks. Spartan Daily. p. 3. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  2. "Campus Grounds: South Campus". SJSU Athletics. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  3. "Spartan Stadium Field Turf Project Underway". SJSU Spartans. San Jose State University. January 11, 2009. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  4. "San José State University Football Upgrades to AstroTurf". astroturf.com. AstroTurf. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  5. "SJSU in the News: Spartan Stadium Upgrades Scoreboards, Sound System | SJSU News". Blogs.sjsu.edu. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  6. "25 New College Football Systems". Daktronics.com. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  7. "Spartans Upgrade CEFCU Stadium With State-of-the-Art Scoreboard". SJSU. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  8. "MLS: Three Clash Home Games Moved to Stanford Stadium". Soccer America. February 24, 1998. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  9. Wittry, Andy (August 15, 2019). "Is Your School Receiving Top Money for Its Football Stadium Naming Rights?". Watch Stadium. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  10. 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.
  11. "SJSU & CEFCU Announcement Enhanced long-term Partnership Agreement for Spartan Stadium".
  12. "SJSU's Spartan Athletics Center receives boost with bond funding approval". Silicon Valley Business Journal. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  13. Avalos, George (August 13, 2023). "University Adds $70M Athletics Complex". The Mercury News (San Jose, CA). pp. B1.
  14. "Spartan Athletics Center". San Jose State University. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  15. "New look for San Jose State's football stadium". The Mercury News. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  16. "Spartan Athletics Center". San Jose State University. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
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