Saturdays during the college football season are a thrilling experience on the campus of San José State University. The Spartans compete in the Mountain West Conference, and play their home games at CEFCU Stadium.
Formerly known as Spartan Stadium, CEFCU Stadium is located in the Spartan Keyes neighborhood in central San José.
While football fans can’t legally bet on sports in California just yet, Spartan fans still have plenty to be excited about on game day.
This is the definitive guide to watching a San José State football game at CEFCU Stadium. It includes all you need to know about attending a game including how to get tickets, where to park, and even how to sing the school fight song.
Getting to CEFCU Stadium
CEFCU Stadium is located at 1257 S 10th St, San Jose, CA, 95112.
Like most college football stadiums, there are many ways to get to CEFCU Stadium, regardless of whether you are driving yourself or using public transportation.
To find your specific directions, plug in the stadium address into your GPS or smartphone before starting your journey.
By bus
The nearest public transit by bus that provides services to CEFCU Stadium is in Temien, which is a little less than a mile from the stadium.
Via the Santa Clara Valley Transit system, fans can take bus numbers 25, 66, 68, or 73 to get to CEFCU Stadium. Bus 73 is only $1-3 to get from its various pick-up points in San Jose to the stadium on game days.
Routes are likely to be heavy on game days, so allow extra time to get on the bus when planning your day.
From downtown San José
CEFCU Stadium is about two miles away from downtown San Jose. When driving there from downtown, head northeast on W San Fernando St. for about 0.2 miles before turning right onto S Second St.
In about 1.2 miles you will pass by Starbucks, then turn left onto Keyes St. Then, turn right onto S 7th Street. The stadium is just a short distance down the road on S 10th St.
From the south (San Martin)
When driving from the south, CEFCU Stadium is about 25 miles from San Martin. From there, you can start your journey to the stadium by getting on US-101 N.
Once there, follow US-101 N to San Jose. Take Exit 1 from I-280 N and continue on S 11th St to E Santa Clara St.
It will then be about 1.3 miles to the stadium.
From the north (Oakland, San Francisco)
Fans traveling to CEFCU Stadium from the Bay Area can expect the drive to take about an hour.
When coming from the north, get on I-880 S and follow I-880 S to Old Bayshore Hwy in San Jose.
Then, take Exit 4C from I-880 S. Finally, take N 10th St to E Santa Clara St.
Parking at CEFCU Stadium
You can purchase parking passes for San José State home football games online for as little as $20 per game.
Parking passes are designated in three colors: Gold, Blue and White.
Gold Parking Pass
Gold Level parking is located in Lot 1 attached to the Alan B. Simpkins Athletics Administration Building. This VIP parking lot is located just a short walk from the stadium entrance.
Gold parking passes can be obtained by donating $125 per month to the Spartan Athletics Scholarship Fund. On select occasions, there are also passes available in the $40-75 range.
Your Gold Parking Pass gives you an assigned parking space, as well as access to indoor restrooms and additional tailgate food and beverages provided by Spartan Athletics.
Blue parking pass
A Blue level parking pass can be purchased with a monthly donation of $62.50 to the Spartan Athletics Scholarship Fund.
Blue parking passes include a specific parking space, and an additional vertically adjoined space for tailgating activities.
White parking pass
White parking passes can be obtained with a donation of $29.17 per month to the Spartan Athletics Scholarship Fund.
These parking passes include a single space to park your vehicle, as well as unassigned parking spaces.
Day of game parking
Day of game parking at CEFCU Stadium is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
There are primarily two parking lots used specifically for day of game parking: 1278 S. 10th St. ($20), and 1281 S. 7th St. ($40).
Overflow parking is available at 377 S. 7th St. Shuttles are available starting three hours prior to kick-off on game days. Some overflow spots are also available at Excite Ballpark.
Ride share services
If you need a ride to the game, ride share services such as Uber, Lyft, and taxis are all available in the area surrounding CEFCU Stadium.
The ride share pick-up are is located at 297 East Humboldt Street. You can arrange ride shares as a student on the campus website, or you may find those options on rideshare apps.
CEFCU parking contact
If you have any questions related to parking at CEFCU Stadium, you can email the SJSU ticket office at [email protected]. Or, you can call (408) 924-7589.
The ticket office will also be able to answer any questions related to ADA accessible parking at CEFCU Stadium.
Tailgating at CEFCU Stadium
Fans are allowed to tailgate at CEFCU Stadium in any paid parking lot. This gives fans plenty of options and space when tailgating before the game.
As with most tailgating scenes, there are still rules to follow. These items may not be present when tailgating in any parking lot near CEFCU Stadium:
- Glass bottles
- Kegs or any mass-consumption alcohol device
- Any drinking game
- Charcoal barbecues or grills
In addition, all tailgating must take place in front of or behind your own parked vehicle. You may not block or obstruct fire lanes in any way.
You may bring a grill, but it must utilize propane. Before entering the game, you must extinguish your grill in every way.
Spartan Village
Parties of 50 or more are encouraged to tailgate in Spartan Village.
Spartan Village is located just steps from CEFCU Stadium, and is the ultimate game day experience for Spartan fans. Packages for Spartan Village tailgating start at $200 and include a pair of parking passes.
For more information, call Jeremy Curran at (408) 924-1246 or e-mail at [email protected].
Alcohol
CEFCU Stadium is known for having strict rules against excessive drinking, loud music, and otherwise rowdy behavior. When tailgating, no alcohol can be consumed outside of designated tailgate areas.
If you fail to comply with tailgating and other alcohol rules, you may receive a citation, be subject to arrest, and/or asked to leave the campus property. Responsible drinking is always the best choice.
San Jose State University requires that all tailgating must cease at kick-off. All ticket holders are required to enter the stadium at that time. Non-ticket holders must vacate the lots and return to campus or go off campus. Citations will be issued to anyone drinking alcohol in the tailgating lots once the game begins.
CEFCU seating capacity
CEFCU Stadium first opened in 1933 and has undergone a series of renovations throughout the years. Two stadium expansions and renovations in the 1980’s increased the seating capacity from 18,000 to over 30,000.
Today, CEFCU Stadium has a capacity of 30,456.
The most recent renovations included the north end zone project and the addition of the Spartan Athletics Center on the east side of the stadium.
Food at San José State University football games
There are over a dozen concession stands located throughout the stadium that serve up all sorts of delicious food. Spartan East Food Service provides the food inside the stadium.
The top food choices inside CEFCU Stadium are burgers, nachos, seafood tacos, hot dogs, and much more.
Morton’s Steakhouse and Scott’s Seafood are two of the better restaurants within walking or short driving distance of the SJSU San Jose campus.
Can I bring bags into CEFCU Stadium?
Fans are allowed to bring bags into CEFCU Stadium, so long as they abide by stadium rules.
CEFCU Stadium has a strict clear bag policy that all fans must abide by:
- Clear bags no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″ and clutch purses are allowed in the stadium
- Seat cushions with no pockets, arms or zippers are also allowed
All bags that enter the CEFCU Stadium gates are subject to search and scan by stadium security before entry.
It’s also important to remember that no outside food is permitted.
What does it cost to see a game at CEFCU Stadium?
According to TicketSmarter, the average cost of attending a San Jose State football game at CEFCU Stadium is $52.50 pet ticket.
Like most stadium across the country, ticket prices fluctuate depending on the event and where your seats are located.
Four people who attend a SJSU football game can expect to pay the following prices on average:
- Tickets: $210 ($52.50 per ticket, cheaper tickets are available)
- Parking: $20 (or $15 family pass for trolley transportation)
- Food: $36 (four hot dogs)
- Beer: $20 (two 16-ounce)
- TOTAL: $286
San Jose State football history
SJSU has had a football program since 1893. The heyday of San Jose football was in the 1970s and early 1980s, when the Spartans won eight conference titles and played in five bowl games.
Overall, SJSU has won 17 conference championships, and from 1969-1995 they won more titles than any team in the Big West Conference. The Spartans have appeared in 12 bowl games, most recently the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2022. Their bowl record is 7-5.
The school’s primary rivals are Fresno State (The Battle for the Valley Trophy), Stanford (Bill Walsh Legacy Game), and San Diego State University (El Camino Real Rivalry).
San Jose State University fight song
Fight on for dear old San Jose State;
Fight on for victory!
We are with you in every way.
No matter what the price may be!
Onward for Sparta noble and true,
Fight hard in everything you do!
And so we’ll Fight! (RAH!) Win! (RAH!)
March onward down the field and we will win the day!
SJSU…SAN JOSE STATE!
This song can be heard at every home game, and it’s customary for underclassmen to learn and sing the song at specific times early in the season.
2023 San Jose State Spartans home football schedule
- Sep. 3: Oregon State
- Sep. 9: Cal Poly
- Sep. 22: Air Force
- Oct. 21: Utah State
- Nov. 11: Fresno State
- Nov. 18: San Diego State