History of the San Diego Chargers
Posted on 15-06-2023 02:25 AM
History of the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers History
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS HISTORY
Do you know much about the Chargers' history of shifting between Los Angeles and San Diego (and back again)?
Founded in 1960, the Los Angeles Chargers have been based in San Diego since 1961. While the Chargers have relocated from San Diego back to Los Angeles, they still feel like a San Diego team to us and many SD locals. Let's take a look at their history and how they got to where they are now.
The Chargers Football Team
As you may know, the Chargers are an American football team based in Southern California. American Football Conference (AFC) West Division member club of the NFL (National Football League).
The NFL may be all you are familiar with here. In general, the Chargers are a professional American football team. The Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers are the other two National Football League teams in California.
Chargers fans have used to seeing their team shift stadiums and cities during its West Coast tenure.
Los Angeles Chargers first
In 1960, the franchise played its first season in Los Angeles, where it had been established since 1959. It was the team's first year as an AFL member. Several rumors surfaced after the team's inaugural season that it would move to Atlanta, Seattle, or nearby San Diego.
The Chargers were slated to play their first San Diego home games at San Diego Balboa Park's old Balboa Stadium in 1961.
Making the switch to the San Diego Chargers
Petco Park
In 1961, the Chargers moved to San Diego, where they remained until 2017. It has been over half a century since we San Diegans called the Chargers our home team.
Aside from 1961 and 1966, the team played its home games at Balboa Stadium until San Diego Stadium was constructed in 1966 and became the team's home field thereafter.
Chargers in the AFL, San Diego
Their first and only AFL championship was won on January 5, 1964. As a result of a 51-10 win at Balboa Stadium, the San Diego Chargers defeated the Boston Patriots. To this day, the Chargers have never won a league championship in the AFL or NFL.
In 1965, the AFL title game was contested in Balboa Stadium and ended in a painful loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Chargers reach Super Bowl XXIX
The AFL-NFL merger saw the team join the NFL in 1970.
As a result of their success in the NFL during the 1990s, the San Diego Chargers faced the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl XXIX and won the AFC championship. Chargers 49-26 loss.
More San Diego Stadium Changes
There have been a number of changes made to San Diego Stadium, including a name change to Jack Murphy Stadium in 1981 in honor of a sportswriter who had championed the stadium's existence.
As part of the Qualcomm Corporation's $18 million purchase of naming rights in 1997, the stadium changed its name once again to Qualcomm Stadium.
As recently as November 2016, the team tried to find a new stadium. Finally, a referendum was proposed that would allocate millions of tax dollars to a stadium project. After the San Diego voters rejected this proposal, the team began plans to leave the county.
Consequently, on January 12, 2017, the Chargers announced they were going to relocate to Los Angeles after 56 years in San Diego. In 1960, the Chargers finished their inaugural season here, so it felt like a sort of full circle moment in their history.
Is there any news on the San Diego Chargers stadium?
After San Diego State University took over the stadium, the Chargers left. SDCCU Stadium was named SDCCU Stadium in September 2017 after the San Diego County Credit Union purchased the stadium's naming rights. In December 2020, the stadium's demolition was starting and the San Diego State Aztecs football team played there until 2019. The final portions of the outer structure were taken down by March 2021.
Taking down the old stadium allowed room for the new Snapdragon Stadium to be built for San Diego State football. In contrast to the old stadium, the new one is smaller and more suited for college football.
So, did you get that? San Diego Stadium, Jack Murphy Stadium, Qualcomm Stadium, Dignity Health Sports Park, StubHub Center, and the SOFI Stadium were the first stadiums the Chargers played in after the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The End of An Era
Despite returning once again to Los Angeles, the San Diego Chargers remain a sports staple in the area after 56 seasons. Many fans who enjoyed watching the Chargers play in the old San Diego Stadium still cherish the memories of watching them play.
We now root for them as they compete in the West Division of the AFC (American Football Conference). When it comes to (some of) our sports here in California, we should band together, right?
They don't come for me, baseball fans.
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