The former home of the Chargers and host to three Super Bowls is being torn down.
Via Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press, San Diego County Credit Union Stadium, formerly Qualcomm Stadium, formerly Jack Murphy Stadium, is being demolished in San Diego after officially being closed in March.
The stadium opened in August 1967 and served as home for the Chargers for the entirety of their time in the city before moving to Los Angeles for the 2017 season. The team moved after a ballot measure to build a new stadium in San Diego failed in 2016.
“We knew that when we had to get it done to win at the end of the game, we could reach down deep and then feel the energy of the stadium just carry us down the field at times. It was really, really fun. Plus the weather was always good. I was very fortunate,” former Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts said.
A new 35,000-seat stadium will be built on the site to serve as home for San Diego State University football moving forward after the school purchased a large chunk of the land in 2018. It is set to open in 2022.
“The Murph” served as the host to three Super Bowls: XXII (Washington-Denver, 1988), XXXII (Green Bay-Denver, 1998) and XXXVII (Tampa Bay-Oakland, 2003). Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl in the first title game at the site with their 42-10 win over the Broncos. John Elway won his first Super Bowl in 1998 with Denver.
It was also the site of the Raiders “Holy Roller” victory over the Chargers in 1978. That play led to the rule change that no longer allowed for a fumble to be advanced by anyone except the fumbling player inside the final two minutes after Dave Casper’s touchdown on an extended fumble gave the Raiders a victory.
The stadium also hosted the Padres from 1969-2003, San Diego State University football (1967-2019) and the Holiday Bowl (1978-2019). Iowa’s 49-24 victory over USC last December was the final game to take place in the stadium.