Balboa Stadium construction site in 1914. Steam shovels were used to excavate the area. It was built in 1914 as part of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition with a capacity of 15,000. It was expanded to 34,000 capacity and served as the San Diego Chargers home from 1961 to 1966. The stadium was demolished in the 1970s and a smaller stadium with a 3,000 seat capacity was built, opening in 1978.