Viejas Arena History
Opened in 1997 as Cox Arena, the arena was built on the site of the historic Aztec Bowl stadium, which hosted the San Diego State Aztecs football team from the time of its construction in 1936 until 1967. The arena was built directly into a canyon hillside, enclosing one end of Aztec Bowl. Two sections of the stadium's original concrete bleachers and cobblestone walls remain visible.[ 5]
Until July 1, 2009, the arena's naming rights were owned by Cox Communications . On March 17, 2009, the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians announced the signing of a 10-year naming rights agreement; the arena was renamed to Viejas Arena.
John F. Kennedy , then the president of the United States , gave a commencement address and received the first honorary doctorate given by a California State University at Aztec Bowl on June 6, 1963.[ 6]
On October 29, 2015, the basketball court was named Steve Fisher Court after men's basketball head coach Steve Fisher .[ 7]
The San Diego Mojo of the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) began play in the league's inaugural 2024 season at the arena.[ 8]
On April 4, 2024, San Diego State University announced a renovation study for Viejas Arena, focused on improving the main concourse, including food and beverage purveyors, hospitality experiences, and other services outside the arena.[ 9]
Concerts
Viejas Arena has hosted numerous concerts with artists and bands such as Beyoncé , Avril Lavigne , Cher , Demi Lovato , DJ Khaled , Eric Clapton , Britney Spears , Evanescence , Foo Fighters , John Mayer , The Chainsmokers , Black Eyed Peas , Nicki Minaj , Aerosmith , Lady Gaga , Twenty One Pilots , Pearl Jam , Paramore , SZA , Melanie Martinez , Charli XCX , Troye Sivan , Doja Cat and Tyga . In the spring of 2001, Billy Joel and Elton John opened their Face to Face tour with a sold-out show at the arena.[ 13]
References
↑ Wesch, Hank (July 25, 1997). "It's an Arena. SDSU Shows Off New Baby" . The San Diego Union-Tribune . Retrieved February 13, 2012 . [ dead link ]
↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF) . American Antiquarian Society . 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF) . American Antiquarian Society . 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024 .
1 2 3 Raker-Beam Construction Requires Rugged Steel Forms
↑ M-E Engineers Projects - Sports (archived)
↑ University, Associated Students of San Diego State. "About the Arena | Viejas Arena" . as.sdsu.edu . Retrieved 2025-04-23 .
↑ Wilkens, John (2023-06-04). "JFK spoke at San Diego State 60 years ago. It was a political masterstroke for both" . San Diego Union-Tribune . Retrieved 2025-04-23 .
↑ Union-Tribune, San Diego. "Viejas floor named Steve Fisher Court" . sandiegouniontribune.com . Retrieved 2016-11-08 .
↑ "San Diego Mojo to call Viejas Arena home for next two seasons" . Pro Volleyball Federation . 2024-10-07. Retrieved 2025-04-23 .
↑ Service • •, City News (2024-04-04). "San Diego State to launch study on renovations for Viejas Arena" . NBC 7 San Diego . Retrieved 2025-04-23 .
↑ "Bash at the Beach 1998" . Pro Wrestling History. July 12, 1998. Retrieved September 1, 2015 .
↑ Wong, Alex. "Remembering When the Rodman-Malone NBA Finals Feud in 1998 Led to a WCW Match" . Bleacher Report . Retrieved 2022-09-04 .
↑ University, Associated Students of San Diego State. "About the Arena | Viejas Arena" . as.sdsu.edu . Retrieved 2025-04-23 .
↑ "Viejas Arena" . San Diego State Aztecs . Retrieved 2025-04-23 .
External links
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