Buck Shaw Stadium History

Opening in 1970, Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California, is the home of the San Jose Earthquakes of the MLS. The MLS is the fastest growing sport in the country and on the heels of a wildly successful World Cup, there has never been a better time to be a soccer fan. The stadium is named after Lawrence T. Buck Shaw, who was a beloved coach of the Santa Clara Broncos football team. The stadium hosted football until the program folded in 1992 and baseball until 2005, when they moved to a new facility. Now, Buck Shaw Stadium has been refitted to host soccer specifically and now sees the action of the best soccer players in the country in this state of the art 11,500 seat soccer stadium.

Buck Shaw Stadium Events

For being located on the campus of a small university in the suburbs, Buck Shaw Stadium has hosted some big time events. Since 1970, the venue has been hosting many incredible sporting events, from Santa Clara University's soccer, baseball and football's teams to being the home of the Brazilian National Soccer Team during the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Buck Shaw Stadium has also hosted rugby and Women's soccer events as well. Today it is best known for being the home of Major League Soccer's San Jose Earthquakes. Professional soccer has been hosted at Buck Shaw Stadium since 2009 and now names like Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane, and Dwayne De Rosario make their way to Santa Clara to play at Buck Shaw Stadium.

Santa Clara, California

Sitting 45 miles southeast of San Francisco, Santa Clara, California is known for being the home of Santa Clara University and for its location in the heart of Silicon Valley. These days Santa Clara can boast that it is the home of two professional sports teams, the San Jose Earthquakes of the MLS and now the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. The 49ers open their billion dollar, world class Levi's Stadium in 2014 after parting ways with the aging Candlestick Park after last season. There is plenty to do and see in this lovely college town, but attending professional sporting events should be at the top of your list.

Buck Shaw Stadium Seating Layout

Though most MLS teams play in brand new arenas, still one of the best places to see a soccer match is at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara. This intimate venue offers the perfect views of the field, where you will never miss any passes, tackles or goals. The friendly and passionate crowd in this sleepy town makes going to a live sporting event the perfect family event. With seating for 11,500 fans, Buck Shaw Stadium is quaint, but fans from all over the stadium are given perfect vantage points to the field. Plus, Buck Shaw Stadium has food trucks! Great food, intimate setting and great views, what more could you ask for?

Buck Shaw Stadium Trivia

Before the Earthquakes moved into Buck Shaw Stadium, what was the occupancy of the venue?

Before it was expanded to fit the MLS team, Buck Shaw Stadium has a capacity of 6,800.