San Diego Stadium. Jack Murphy Stadium. Qualcomm Stadium. San Diego County Credit Union Stadium.
Many names for the now hallowed halls of the now-demolished stadium in Mission Valley.
And now, on Monday, a new name for the new stadium being built by San Diego State.
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Officials from SDSU made the announcement on Monday that the 35,000-capacity venue will be christened after its title sponsor, Snapdragon, with the site officially being called Snapdragon Stadium.
If the name Snapdragon is familiar, it’s because Qualcomm — one of the county’s largest employers — is a high tech creator of computer chips, including Snapdragon, which powers many a cell phone.
“Snapdragon is Qualcomm Technologies’ premier mobile platform brand,
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“Snapdragon is Qualcomm Technologies’ premier mobile platform brand," a news release sent out Monday stated. “It represents a family of technology platforms that bring intelligence and connectivity to smartphones, wearables, always-connected PCs, XR headsets, gaming devices and cars.”
a news release sent out Monday stated. “It represents a family of technology platforms that bring intelligence and connectivity to smartphones, wearables, always-connected PCs, XR headsets, gaming devices and cars.”
Qualcomm paid a nice chunk of change for the naming rights for the new stadium, with officials describing it as a 15-year $45 million deal.
“We are thrilled to have secured the exclusive naming rights to San Diego State University’s new stadium, Snapdragon Stadium,” Qualcomm CEO and president Cristiano Amon said in Monday’s news release. “Snapdragon stands for premium experiences and leading-edge performance, which is what fans can expect from this new state-of-the-art venue.”
The price tag for Snapdragon Stadium's naming rights dwarfs what SDCCU paid for the 2018 rights for the Q, which went for half a million dollars. The Chargers were gone by then, of course, but the venue was still hosting concerts, Aztec football games and other events at that time.
Ground was broken on the new stadium in August of last year, with the final touches expected to be completed on the site by September 2022.
By the time the first game is played — likely Sept. 3, 2022, when the Aztecs host rival Arizona State, branding opportunities around the stadium will abound. Recently, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and Sycuan Casino Resort snagged the rights for what are being called the The Piers location and The Founders Club.
“The three piers feature 10,000 square feet of space that include 22 loge boxes, standing room for 500 individuals, three bars and a concession stand,” campus officials said regarding an area of the venue that juts out toward the field.
The Founders Club will comprise the four highest-end suites and “48 Founders Club Seats … the Club provides year-round access to every event in the stadium with an all-inclusive premium menu and hosted bar.”
The new stadium name, meanwhile, renews relevance for a nearby road carrying many travelers to the stadium, one which, apparently, will no longer require a new moniker: Qualcomm Way
