The Sports Arena | |
Former names | San Diego International Sports Center (1966–1970) San Diego Sports Arena (1970–2004; 2007–2010) iPayOne Center (2004–2007) |
---|---|
Location | 3500 Sports Arena Boulevard San Diego, CA 92110 |
Coordinates | 32°45′19″N 117°12′44″W / 32.75528°N 117.21222°WCoordinates: 32°45′19″N 117°12′44″W / 32.75528°N 117.21222°W |
Owner | Arena Group 2000 |
Operator | Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) |
Capacity |
Arena football: 12,000 Ice hockey: 12,920 Basketball: 14,500 Concerts: 14,800 Circus: 13,000 Mixed martial arts: 16,100 |
Construction | |
Broke ground | November 18, 1965 |
Opened | November 17, 1966 |
Construction cost | US$6.4 million ($47.2 million in 2016 dollars) |
Architect | Mark L. Faddis |
Structural engineer | Richard Bradshaw |
General contractor | Trepte Construction Company |
Tenants | |
San Diego Gulls (WHL) (1966–74) San Diego State Aztecs (NCAA) (1966–97) San Diego Rockets (NBA) (1967–71) Golden State Warriors (NBA) (1971–72, six games) San Diego Conquistadors/Sails (ABA) (1972–75) San Diego Mariners (WHA) (1974–77) San Diego Friars (WTT) (1975–78) San Diego Clippers (NBA) (1978–84) San Diego Sockers (NASL/MISL I/CISL) (1980–96) San Diego Friars/Buds (TT) (1981–85) San Diego Gulls (IHL) (1990–1995) San Diego Barracudas (RHI) (1993–96) San Diego Gulls (WCHL/ECHL) (1995–2006) San Diego Sockers II (WISL/MISL II) (2001–04) San Diego Riptide (AF2) (2002–05) San Diego Seduction (LFL) (2009–10) San Diego Sockers (MASL) (2012–present) San Diego Aviators (WTT) (2014) San Diego Gulls (AHL) (2015–present) |
Valley View Casino Center (formerly San Diego Sports Arena and iPayOne Center) is an indoor arena located at Sports Arena Blvd in Point Loma, San Diego, California.
The arena seats 12,000 for arena football, 12,920 for ice hockey, 14,500 for basketball and tennis, 5,450 for amphitheater concerts and stage shows, 8,900-14,800 for arena concerts, 13,000 for ice shows and the circus and 16,100 for boxing and mixed martial arts.
In 2000, Amusement Business/Billboard Magazine listed the arena as the "#1" facility in the nation for venues seating 10,001 to 15,000 seats. The same magazine ranked the arena as #2 in 2002 and as the #5 facility in 2003. In 2007, the arena was ranked as the #5 facility by Billboard Magazine. In 2013, U-T San Diego named the arena #3 on its list of the 50 most notable locations in San Diego sports history.
The arena is located at 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., which is slightly southwest of the interchange of Interstate 5 and Interstate 8. This places it in the Midway neighborhood, approximately 10 minutes away from San Diego International Airport by car and about a mile away from the Old Town Transit Center by foot.
The venue's original name was the San Diego International Sports Center. The name was later renamed the "San Diego Sports Arena", which it kept until 2004. In the latter year and until 2007, iPayOne, a real estate savings company based in Carlsbad, California, held the arena's naming rights. The deal was worth $2.5 million over five years.