On September 15, 1967, the San Diego State University football team first stepped onto the turf of what Sports Illustrated would later call the finest multi-purpose stadium in America - San Diego Stadium. That night, the Aztecs, led by Head Coach Don Coryell and players like Haven Moses, Fred Dryer, Tom Nettles and Nate Wright, defeated Tennessee State 16-8 in front of 45,822 fans.

In an effort to prepare the Stadium for the next century, a $66.4 million renovation project was undertaken in 1997 which increased seating to 71,400; added 31 luxury suites; created 7,600 club seats; and added a second Sony Jumbotron video board in the West end.

To help in financing of the renovation project, Qualcomm, a local communications company, agreed to provide $18 million for the naming rights of the Stadium for the next 20 years. The Stadium is now known as Qualcomm Stadium. Qualcomm Stadium is located at the intersection of Interstates 8 and 15 in Mission Valley, less than five miles from the university. Indeed, San Diego State is one of the facility's two charter tenants, the other being the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. In the 30 years since that opening night, some of the greatest names in Aztec football history have displayed their talents there - Dennis Shaw, Brian Sipe, Isaac Curtis, Willie Buchanon, Todd Santos,

Webster Slaughter, Rob Awalt, Don Warren, Dan McGwire, Henry Allison, Claudie Minor, Jesse Freitas, Craig Penrose, David "Deacon" Turner, Darnay Scott and Marshall Faulk to name a few. In addition to the Aztecs and Chargers, the Padres of Major League Baseball and the Holiday Bowl have come to call it home. The Stadium has been the site of such renowned events as the Super Bowl, the World Series and baseball's All Star Game.

Constructed at a cost of $27 million, San Diego Stadium opened August 20, 1967, with an exhibition game between the Chargers and Detroit Lions. Since that game, the facility has been the stage for some of the most memorable events in San Diego State football history. A then-record attendance of 53,611 was on hand November 8, 1975, when the unbeaten San Diegans entertained once-beaten Arizona. Both teams were ranked among the top 15 in the nation, and in one of the most dramatic games ever played in San Diego, the Wildcats prevailed 31-24.

In 1975, average attendance for six home games was 42,040. In '77 a crowd of 50,453 saw the Aztecs hammer 15th-ranked Florida State, 41-16. On January 6, 1981, the name of the facility was changed officially to San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. Murphy, a nationally-known columnist and the sports editor of the San Diego Union, had led the campaign to have the stadium constructed. He had died in 1980.

In 1984, 50,318 fans nearly carried SDSU to an upset of UCLA, as the Bruins hung on to an 18-15 victory. The Aztecs clinched their first Western Athletic Conference championship and a berth in the Holiday Bowl with a 10-3 victory over Brigham Young on November 29, 1986 in front of a Stadium crowd of 45,062. SDSU then played host to Iowa in one of the most memorable Holiday Bowls ever. The hometown Aztecs fought the perennial Big Ten power to a standstill before losing 39-38 on a last second Hawkeye field goal. Although not a regular season home contest, 59,473 people were in the stands on that December 30 night in 1986 - the largest crowd ever to see SDSU in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

The school's home attendance record was set in the 1991 season finale. With the WAC title again on the line and the opponent again none other than arch-rival BYU, 56,737 fans packed The Murph and were treated to a night of offensive fireworks unparalleled in Aztec history. The final 52-52 score gave the Cougars a Holiday Bowl berth but the Aztecs captured the hearts of their fans in a contest that will long be remembered. State's large and vocal crowds have had much to cheer about through the years. As they await the 1998 season, the Aztecs' all time record in Mission Valley is 142-52-6 (.725).

The stadium underwent a major facelift in 1985. Built initially to seat 52,675 for football, the expansion project pushed capacity to 60,409. Largely as a result, the National Football League voted to hold the 1988 Super Bowl game in San Diego where the Washington Redskins defeated the Denver Broncos 42-10. That national spectacle will again return to San Diego in 1998. Prior to the stadium's opening, the Aztecs played their games in Aztec Bowl - a 13,000-seat facility on campus - and the 34,500-seat Balboa Stadium downtown.

The team's record crowd had been the 35,342 fans who jammed Balboa Stadium to see the Aztecs meet North Dakota State in 1966. North Dakota State was the No. 1 small college team in the nation at the time, but the Aztecs won the game 36-0. The victory served as a springboard for San Diego State's national small college championships in 1966, '67 and '68.

San Diego State moved to what now is Qualcomm Stadium in 1967 and has accumulated an overall record of 139-50-6 (.728) there. From 1936-66, the Aztecs played most of their home games in Aztec Bowl on campus, where they had a record of 77-44-5 (.636).