The San Jose Earthquakes announced that the club has named Santa Clara University's Buck Shaw Stadium as their temporary venue for the majority of the home games during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, with an option for 2010.
The San Jose Earthquakes will make upgrades to Buck Shaw Stadium beginning in mid-November. The project will include renovating the full-sized practice field, adding approximately 5,000 temporary seats which will increase Buck Shaw Stadium capacity to approximately 12,000 seats and installing a portable state-of-the-art digital video board. The project will also reconfigure the lights specifically for soccer and expand the hospitality areas.
"We are excited to be able to work with Santa Clara University to provide a quality venue for the Earthquakes, while we look for a permanent home for the Earthquakes in the San Jose area," stated Michael Crowley, San Jose Earthquakes President. "We look forward to making upgrades to Buck Shaw Stadium in order to improve the soccer experience for not only Earthquake's fans but also Santa Clara soccer fans."
"We are proud to have the San Jose Earthquakes call Buck Shaw Stadium home," said Dan Coonan, Santa Clara University Director of Athletics and Recreation. "The upgrades to the stadium and practice field will greatly benefit our nationally recognized soccer programs as they continue to compete with the best collegiate teams in the country. We look forward to a strong relationship with the Earthquakes in the future with the potential of hosting College Cups and other soccer events in the South Bay."
Buck Shaw Stadium was named after former Santa Clara football coach, Lawrence T. "Buck" Shaw, and has served as a showcase for Santa Clara sporting events since the facility opened in 1962. Besides serving as the home for the Broncos men's and women's soccer teams, the facility also housed Santa Clara football until 1992 and baseball until 2005. Buck Shaw Stadium also served as a practice site for the Brazilian and Romanian National Teams during the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
