Information
Viejas Arena is located at 5500 Canyon Crest Drive in San Diego, California. A somewhat intimate venue, with a capacity of 12,414, it is found on the campus of SDSU – San Diego State University.
The arena is the home to both the men’s and women’s San Diego Aztecs basketball teams. It is also home to the Pro Volleyball Federation team, the San Diego Mojo.
Construction on the arena began in 1936 and lasted until 1967, but the venue didn’t open until 1997. Back then, it was known as the Cox Arena.
The naming rights for the arena were owned by Cox Communications until July 1st, 2009. Several months before this date – on March 17th, 2009 – the arena’s naming rights were changed via an agreement with the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians. This 10-year naming rights agreement meant that the Cox Arena would become the Viejas Arena.
The venue has a unique history in terms of its construction, as it was built into a canyon hillside on the site of another stadium – the historic Aztec Bowl Stadium.
The structure design enclosed one end of the Aztec Bowl Stadium, which was shaped like a horseshoe. Certain parts of the Aztec Bowl remain today, such as the cobblestone walls on each side of the north entrance of the arena and two sections of the stadium’s original concrete bleachers.
The stadium also features a large, 10-ton granite boulder, which is part of the SDSU campus. This boulder was placed there as a California landmark to commemorate a commencement address at the Aztec Bowl by President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Viejas Arena is a basketball game venue, but it has also played host to various famous names in the music industry for concerts.
Some of the most well-known artists to have graced the stage at Viejas Arena include Cher, Eric Clapton, Britney Spears, Black Eyed Peas, Foo Fighters, Aerosmith, and Lady Gaga.
The arena is also well known for hosting a sold-out show by Elton John and Billy Joel as part of the Face to Face tour in 2001.
Concessions
There is plenty of food and drink available at the Viejas Arena via the numerous concessions menus and vendors. Let’s take a closer look at what you can enjoy during your visit.
Snacks
» Candy
» Chips
» Churros
» Peanuts
» Popcorn
» Pretzels
Food
» Chili Cheese Nachos
» Hebrew Nation Beef Hot Dog
» Hebrew National Beef Hot Dog Combo with chips and a drink
» Johnsonville Bratwurst
» Johnsonville Bratwurst Combo with chips and a drink
» Nachos with Cheese
Drinks
» Canned Water
» Fountain Soda (Dr Pepper, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi, Pink Lemonade, or Starry).
» Fruit Punch
» Glacier Freeze
» Lemon Lime Gatorade
Alcohol (available during all basketball games and concerts)
Beer
» .394 Alesmith
» Aurora Hoppyalis
» Coors Light
» Dos Equis Lager
» Dos Equis Michelada
» Elysian Space Dust
» Juneshine POG
» Michelob Ultra
» Party Tricks
» Salty Crew
» Sculpin IPA
» SDSU Alesmith
» Tower X
» Truly Wild Berry
Wine
» Matua Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)
» Porch Pounder Sangria
» Pillars of Hercules Red Blend (California)
Rotating third-party vendors
» Big Oven Pizza
» Belinda’s Cocina
» Caked Cookies & Ice Cream
» Dougie’s Best Philly Cheesesteaks
» Flavors of East Africa
» Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffee & Smoothies
» So Cal Kettle Corn
Specialty concessions
Craft Corner
» Anheuser-Busch
» Alesmith
» Cutwater
» Dos Equis
» Heineken 0.0 (non-alcoholic)
» JuneShine
» Karl Strauss
Cutwater Carts (found inside door 8 and 2)
» Tiki Rum Punch
» Tequila Poloma
» Vodka Mule
Tap & Burger House
» Assorted Beers
» Cutwater
» Pepsi Soda
» Hand Pressed Half Pound Burger
» Beyond Burger