On Nov. 17, 2016 the Valley View Casino Center celebrated its 50th anniversary. Here is a look back at some impressive figures relating to the entertainment arena in San Diego.
40 million+
Number of people who have ed through venue turnstiles.
Capacity:
Up to 14,800 for in-the-round concerts, boxing and mixed martial arts.
13,900 for basketball.
12,920 for ice hockey.
$6.4 million
Original cost to build the venue.
$1.75 million
Cost to NBA as an expansion team with San Diego Rockets in 1967 (the Seattle SuperSonics ed the league that same year, to mark 12 teams in the league during the ’67-68 season). In 1971, the team was sold for $5.6 million and moved to Houston, where they are still the Houston Rockets.
129,000
$2 Bud Lights sold during the Friday Happy Hour Nights during the San Diego Gulls hockey season while returning to the VVCC in 2015.
8,000+
Total events over the past 50 years.
1,600+
Concerts.
7,500+
Days to find great deals at Kobey’s Swap Meet, which began in 1980 at the arena. More than 35 million people have shopped at the swap meet over the past 36 years on site.
16
Sports franchise titles won while playing at VVCC (Sockers – 11 MSL/MISL/NASL championships; Gulls – 5 WCHL Taylor Cups)
23
The number of concerts that Neil Diamond has played at the VVCC, the most by any artist over the years.
38 acres
Lot size on which Valley View Casino Center sits. The parking lot had 4,000 parking spaces when originally built. In 2000, the area was remodeled to include 3,100 parking spaces with two restaurants (Chili’s and Chick-fil-A) and a gas station (Arco AM/PM).
1
Movie appearance (In Almost Famous, William Miller, played by Patrick Fugit, was dropped off at the Sports Arena by mother Elaine, played by s McDormand, to review a concert). More than 10 minutes of the movie is a result of filming at the VVCC. The movie was Kate Hudson’s breakout role.
Source: Valley View Casino Center