Over two years ago, Snapdragon Stadium became the new and improved home for the San Diego State Aztecs football team. The stadium was created to be the hub for San Diego State events and a venue for other events such as concerts, festivals, community events and other sporting events.
For SDSU students, Snapdragon Stadium can be hit or miss.
Some students feel that the stadium creates a sense of community amongst San Diego students and fans. When the student section is full, spirits are high.
“My experience with SDSU football games has been very fun and involved,” SDSU Cheerleader Aaliyah Scott said.
For student-athletes like Scott, Snapdragon is a place where they can come together with their friends and do what they love. A lot of attendees share that same excitement and find the atmosphere to be fun and energetic.
Another aspect of the stadium that students enjoy is the amenities.
“I like that our trolley takes us directly from school to the stadium and is usually filled with SDSU students so I feel pretty safe,” student Sophia Powell said.
Others feel that there is always room for improvement and that some of these amenities are where the stadium is lacking. One of the bigger concerns students have with the stadium is its design.
“The stadium itself is not a football stadium and it shows. The lack of shade is frustrating,” Reagan Verschelde said.
The way that the stadium has been built allows it to be multipurpose but does not provide the ideal layout for a football stadium. The stadium’s design is ideal for nighttime events such as concerts but can be uncomfortable during the day due to the lack of shade.
“If I could change anything about the SDSU football games, it would be the times of the games,” Daily Aztec Sports Editor Roman Aguilar said. “Due to the stadium’s structure, it would be optimal to have home games at night.”
Snapdragon Stadium has a multitude of meal options for attendees.
The stadium features different bites from some of San Diego’s restaurants. Hodad’s, The Crack Shack and Everbowl are just a few of the restaurants that attendees can choose from. For some, the concessions still miss the mark.
“I have found the food options to be extremely overpriced and just not good,” Verschelde said.
Despite some apparent needed changes to the stadium, attendance has been steady since the opening of Snapdragon Stadium back in 2022. Compared to last year’s numbers, the stadium has seen an increase in the number of fans in attendance.
“This year’s attendance we are averaging 27,268 for our three home games so far. Last year, we averaged 24,832 for our seven home games. So we are averaging 9.8 percent more fans than 2023,” Jamie McConeghy, Senior Associate Athletic Director, Communications & Media Relations for SDSU football and men’s golf said.
The previous stadium had a capacity of 54,000 for SDSU football whereas Snapdragon Stadium has a capacity of 35,000. At the end of the previous stadium’s final season they were averaging 29,896. When compared to the old stadium’s attendance, Snapdragon’s has remained somewhat consistent with the numbers from 2019.
The slight disparities in game attendance do not seem to affect the experience. Attendees are able to feel the energy of the crowd.
“SDSU’s fanbase is huge and growing with more students every year so our hometown advantage really makes the crowd roar even if our turnout isn’t the best.” SDSU student Gabe Bombino said.
Even though SDSU students feel that Snapdragon Stadium could change a few things to make the experience more enjoyable for fans, they still enjoy attending games and events.
SDSU’s football team will tackle the University of New Mexico on Nov. 8 at Snapdragon Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
TOP PHOTO: Artist rendering of Snapdragon Stadium which opened officially two years ago to locals and visitors from out of town. (Image courtesy of San Diego State University)
