About
General History
August 20, 1967: The San Diego Chargers played their first game in the newly completed San Diego Stadium. Formerly the Los Angeles Chargers, owner Barron Hilton had been convinced by local sports writer Jack Murphy to move the team from the LA Coliseum to San Diego.
In 1984, the Stadium was expanded to nearly 61,000 seats and 50 suites were added at cost of $9.1 million.
In 1997, the Stadium was expanded again when 10,500 seats, 34 suites, 4 Club Lounges, upgraded food service and two video boards were added. The total cost was $78 million, which also included a new practice facility for the Chargers.
Naming of the Stadium
The original name of the Stadium was San Diego Stadium. When Jack Murphy died on September 24, 1980 then Mayor Pete Wilson and the City Council voted to rename it San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. The voters officially approved the name change later that year.
After the 1997 renovation, the name changed again. Qualcomm a local telecommunication company agreed to pay the City $18 million to complete the expansion project. In return the name changed to Qualcomm Stadium. The current naming rights deal expires in 2017.
