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Snapdragon Stadium is officially open. The brand-new construction at San Diego State University welcomed its first sporting event on Saturday. A near-capacity crowd of 34,046 were in attendance to watch the Aztecs football team’s season opener. Rugby will arrive at the venue in 2023 when the San Diego Legion make the move to their new long-term home.
While the facilities are impressive, fans on the weekend were forced to endure extreme heat without the benefit of shade. There are no canopies installed over the stands. In an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, SDSU Athletics Director David Wicker said they would have raised the price of the $310 million construction by at least $50 million.
San Diego is currently in the midst of a heat wave, and it should be noted that temperatures are typically much cooler during the Major League Rugby season that runs from February to the end of June. Most of the games at the stadium are expected to be played in the evening to help alleviate the potential of excessive sun exposure.
This past season saw the Legion playing at the nearby SDSU Sports Deck, a temporary arrangement following the end of their four-year stay at the University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium. Snapdragon Stadium boasts a natural Bermudagrass surface with a maximum seating capacity of 35,000. The Sports Deck had room for 3,000 including standing room.
