CEFCU Stadium facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
CEFCU Stadium

Aerial View
San Jose Location in the United States Show map of the United States San Jose Location in California Show map of California
Former names	Spartan Stadium (1933–2015)
Address	1257 S. 10th Street
Location	San Jose, California, U.S.
Coordinates	37°19′11″N 121°52′6″W / 37.31972°N 121.86833°W / 37.31972; -121.86833
Public transit	Tamien
Owner	San Jose State University
Operator	San Jose State University
Capacity	18,203 (2021-present) 21,530 (2019–2020) 30,456 (1998–2018) 31,218 (1985–1997) 18,155 (1948–1984) 11,000 (1937–1947)   8,500 (1936)   4,000 (1933–1935)
Surface	AstroTurf (2017–present) FieldTurf (2009–2017) Natural grass (1933–2008)
Construction
Broke ground	1933
Opened	1933; 92 years ago (1933)
Expanded	1936–1937, 1948, 1985
Construction cost	US $2.25 million (1985 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 ('sef-kyü) Stadium, once known as Spartan Stadium, is a sports stadium located in San Jose, California, in the United States. It's owned by San José State University and is the main home for the Spartan football team. The stadium also hosts the university's graduation ceremonies and sometimes high school football games. It was called Spartan Stadium for over 80 years before getting its new name in 2016.

CEFCU Stadium was also home to the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team from 1996 to 2005. Other teams that played here include the original San Jose Earthquakes (1974–1984), the San Jose CyberRays women's soccer team (2001–2003), and the San Francisco Dragons lacrosse team (2008). A big soccer event called Soccer Bowl '75 also took place at CEFCU Stadium.

In 2009, the stadium's natural grass field was replaced with FieldTurf, a type of artificial turf. This change helped the university save a lot of water, fertilizer, and money. The FieldTurf was later updated to AstroTurf in 2017. The field is about 100 feet (30 meters) above sea level.

The stadium also got cool new scoreboards and sound systems in 2011 and 2020. This included a large HD video screen at the south end in 2011, and an even bigger one at the north end in 2020.

Stadium History: How It Grew

Spartan Stadium in the 1950s

CEFCU Stadium first opened in 1933 with seats for 4,000 people. It had big grassy slopes around the field, making it look like a "sunken bowl." The stadium grew over time, reaching 8,500 seats in 1936 and more than 18,000 by 1948. In the 1980s, it expanded even more, adding extra seating and an upper deck, bringing the capacity to over 31,000.

In 1998, the field was made wider for the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team to meet international rules. Because of these changes, some seats closest to the field were removed. This brought the total seating capacity down to 30,456 for all sports.

In 2007, there were talks about building a brand new stadium next to the old one. The idea was for the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team and San Jose State University to work together. However, they couldn't agree on how to share the money, so the plans for the new stadium didn't happen.

The seating capacity stayed at 30,456 until 2019. Then, it was temporarily reduced to 21,520 as part of a big renovation project on the east side of the stadium.

CEFCU Naming Rights: A New Name and Support

In August 2016, Citizens Equity First Credit Union (CEFCU) bought the rights to name Spartan Stadium for $8.7 million. This deal with San José State University will last for 15 years. San José State was one of the first universities in California to make such a deal. The money from this sponsorship helps pay for things like athletic scholarships, team operations, and improvements to sports facilities.

Spartan Athletics Center: Modern Upgrades

A new building called the Spartan Athletics Center was finished in August 2023. It cost about $70 million. This large, multi-story building has a new center for the football team, including locker rooms, offices, meeting rooms, and a sports medicine area. It also has offices and locker rooms for the soccer team, plus dining areas and special spaces for events.

This renovation project temporarily reduced the stadium's seating capacity. About 9,000 seats were removed in 2019 to make space for the new building. This included most of the seats on the east side and some bleachers at the north end. The north end bleachers were removed to make way for a new, modern video scoreboard and an outdoor bar area, which was completed in 2020.

There are still plans for a second phase of this project. This next phase aims to replace the spectator seating that was removed for the Spartan Athletics Center.

Other Exciting Events at the Stadium

CEFCU Stadium has hosted many different events over the years.

• It was the home of the Silicon Valley Football Classic bowl game from 2000 to 2004.
• The stadium has also hosted several international soccer events, including matches for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.
• In 1999, it was also the site for the NCAA Women's College Cup, which is a big championship for college women's soccer.
• The stadium used to host San José State University's graduation ceremonies every spring and musical concerts throughout the year.

International Soccer Matches

CEFCU Stadium has seen some exciting international soccer games!

Date	Competition	Team	Res	Team	Crowd
14 Feb 1986	International Friendly	Mexico	1–2	East Germany	6,000
16 May 1998	International Friendly	United States	0–0	Macedonia	23,861
6 Nov 1998	International Friendly	United States	0–0	Australia	15,074
27 Sep 2000	International Friendly	Mexico	1–0	Bolivia	30,154
2 Jun 2007	International Friendly	United States	4–1	China	20,821

1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Games

Here are the games played at CEFCU Stadium during the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup:

Date	Competition	Team	Res	Team	Crowd
19 Jun 1999	Group C	Japan	1–1	Canada	23,298
19 Jun 1999	Group D	Sweden	1–2	China	23,298
30 Jun 1999	Quarterfinals	China	2–0	Russia	21,411
30 Jun 1999	Quarterfinals	Norway	3–1	Sweden	21,411

Images for kids

• 

  Spartan Stadium, San Jose, California — 1933

• 

  Proposed Expansion — 1960s

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  Spartan Stadium – San Jose State vs. Boise State — 2008

• 

  Spartan Stadium – Aerial view at night — 2008

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  First season using new "FieldTurf" playing surface, San Jose State vs. Utah – 2009

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  The Spartan Stadium field in 2015

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  Aerial view from the southwest, 2017

Nearby Sports Venues

CEFCU Stadium is close to other cool sports places in San Jose:

• The Excite Ballpark, where the San Jose Giants baseball team plays. They are a minor league team connected to the San Francisco Giants.
• The Tech CU Arena at Sharks Ice San Jose, home to the San Jose Barracuda hockey team. They are linked to the San Jose Sharks.

See also

In Spanish: Spartan Stadium (San José) para niños

• List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums
• New San Jose State Stadium