Buck Shaw Stadium

Attended a MLS game here. The environment was very upbeat and energizing. The stadium seemed small for the event I attended but then again the stadium wasn’t filled to capacity. Parking was simple and there was a lot of variety of food to eat. It was a fun evening.

Take me out to the ballgame! We were on campus for a work related event and afterwards we popped into local dive bar, The Hut and then ambled over to watch the women’s soccer team scorch Stanford. Beautiful grounds… okay snack bar… enthusiastic crowd. Perfect spring night.

Yay! Brand spankin’ new stadium — the new name: Steven’s Stadium — Buck Shaw Field. Stunning improvements– a pleasure watching the soccer games there. A local told me Buck Shaw was a rockstar Coach at SCU– His 1936 and 1937 football teams won every single game including beating LSU in the Sugar Bowl. Very cool.
A very fun family outing idea… first date… venue…

I was a fan and now… they will be moving. LOL At least I can say that I watched the Quakes at the Buck. Parking was a bit confusing so I am definitely looking forward to the new stadium. All the food and beverage stands were right past the entrance which made it a bit overcrowded but I had great company that night so the crowds didn’t bother me. My friend decided he wanted garlic fries and the line was huge but we waited anyways. We were probably in line for about a good half an hour but the fries were good so they were worth the wait. It was a great game, the fans were fantastic and there was no pushing or shoving on the way out the Stadium. I had a great experience, it was definitely a night I will never forget and the Buck will be a great memory to cherish for many more years to come!

ZERO stars for the POS rent-​a-​cop at the VIP entrance…
My friend was gifted 4 VIP tickets to the SJ Earthquakes vs. FC Dallas game on 8÷16÷14. The parking pass was included, so we drove directly to the VIP parking area. My husband and my friend’s BF walked ahead of us to the roped off VIP entrance and before they could say anything, the security guard just pointed to the left and said, «General admission over there.» My husband said, «We have VIP tickets.» The security guard took a look at the tickets and again pointed and said, «General admission is over there.» As I’m walking over there, I hear what’s going on. I get right to the entrance and say, «What are you talking about? We have VIP tickets!» He now looks at my tickets and proceeds to say, «Oh, this way.» As we walked through the entrance I just kept saying rather loudly, «Woowww, woooowww!!!»
That security guard was such a douche bag. Even after viewing our tickets he kept insisting we go to general admission. I understand our group did not look like the «typical» VIP soccer ticket holder, but WTH. He needs to learn a little respect and not make assumptions based on the way people look because I can guarantee we all make more money than him individually.
Does treating people like this make you feel better about yourself, rent-​a-​cop?

I’m only really a soccer fan during World Cup season, but the Buck Shaw Stadium has a fun vibe.
The Earthquakes crowd is fun and rowdy and the games (while no World Cup elegance) are fun to watch when it’s such a local MLS team.
Love that they have a couple of food trucks at some of the games. Definitely steps up the normal sports game offerings quite a bit.

It’s great, because:
1. No need to pay for parking, enough street parking around the blocks.
2. Not overly crowded, no crazy traffic jams and lines to get in or out.
3. Tickets are dirt cheap for SJ Earthquakes games, especially compared to other sports
Prices for beer and hot dogs are what you expect and the line for condiments is so long you’ll want to bring your own ketchup or miss parts of the game.

The Earthquake game was great and even my teen agers had a lot of fun. However, I totally see why they wanted a new stadium. This place is nice but way to small for a serious event. The Quakes store is in a tent. The bathrooms are not sufficient and bench seats aren’t very cool either.
Our next Quakes game will be when they play at Stanford and then the new stadium in San Jose.

First ever San Jose Earthquakes game!
Parking was a hassle but what sport event isn’t? Got to the gates and had to toss some snacks as those are the rules. Super sad cause there was no way I’d walk back to my car and it’s too obvious at that point to try to smuggle it in.
Actual space had enough room to get food from food trucks, clear walkways to the stands and a clear view of the actual game. For free tickets (work perks), we watched our team basically spoon feed the first goal to the other team. Redemption was made! literally the last 10 seconds of the extended period we made a goal to end my first SJ Earthquakes game with the final score of 1 – 1.
The atmosphere here is pretty awesome. The crowd basically cheers, groans, and taunts together. If I actually paid attention in Spanish class I’d probably understand more of the things the crowd was saying. Though, I’m pretty sure most of the things were probably offensive haha. Definitely made me miss watching soccer from my UCSB days where college tradition was to toss out tortillas onto the field for goals scored. Come enjoy the game, pick up some bad habits, and walk out a happy person.
*note*
There are tons of vendors grilling bacon-​wrapped hotdogs, onions, and all sorts of goods outside the stadium after the game. I swear they literally follow you just to taunt you with that wonderful aroma. Too bad I was super full from finishing all the food my group of friends ordered.

No one, and I mean not one person, could figure out where our seats were. We spent about 20 minutes wandering around from usher to usher trying to find out where our seats where. Why do they pay these people if they have no clue about the stadium layout? Train your employees!

The rest of MLS fandom likes making fun of Buck Shaw and its modest facilities. That’s fine. It’s rare that their teams can actually grind out a win here.
The acoustics aren’t great, and other stadiums have more atmosphere (part of it, I think, is the South Bay’s suburban nature, as opposed to Seattle or Portland), but I love the intimacy, the food trucks, and the fact that it’s easy to both hi-​five home players and heckle the shit out of visiting players.
Other soccer fans may call Buck Shaw a shithole, but it’s *our* shithole. And it’ll be a little bittersweet when the new stadium opens in 2014.

I came here on Sunday for an Earthquakes game and my first elite Unilocal event. I was pleasantly surprised with this stadium. The stadium itself seems fairly old and could use a remodel but the Earthquakes are moving next year, so fans don’t need to complain about rickety bleachers anymore. They didn’t bother me that much to be honest. The only thing that annoyed me about the bleachers is that I didn’t have much leg room. Besides that, I didn’t mind the seating that much.
My favorite part about this stadium is the bathrooms. They have porta potties but they are really nice porta potties. The bathrooms seriously look like airplane bathrooms. Sinks and all inside. The stadium does also have regular porta potties but I found them to be clean. Also, they have bathrooms everywhere, so you never really have to wait in line for a bathroom.
Another pro is that concession stands are everywhere and I didn’t have to wait that much to get my food. On the night I went, they had food trucks in two areas of the stadium. That gives fans lots of food choices, which is awesome!
I’ve never been to a pro soccer game and I’m glad I was able to go to BuckShaw because Earthquake fans are pretty legit. They have a whole section to cheer the Earthquakes on. Fans who sit in that section are on their feet the whole time cheering their Earthquakes on with various cheers. They make the game really fun and interactive to watch!
It would be worth it to come to an Earthquakes game at Buckshaw before they move to their new stadium! Go Earthquakes!

Goooooo Earthquakes!
Though I didn’t grow up an avid soccer fan, going to a MLS game is still pretty exciting. On the way down to Santa Clara, the BF and I discussed why European football is more fun to watch than baseball, basketball or American football:
+ The games take under 2 hours, no matter what. Even if there’s a yellow card or injury, the clock still keeps ticking. Sure, the referees keep track of how much time was lost and tack it on at the end of the half, but it’s not like you have to pause every single time a player needs to readjust his sack. Makes for an exciting experience in the stands to watch continuous play.
+ Passionate fans from start to finish! There’s a special section for the die-​hard Earthquakes lovers, I believe it’s called the 1906 Ultras. They bring giant flags and chant/​cheer the entire 90 minutes. Even on a chilly evening, there were some shirtless dudes screaming their heads off.
+ Food trucks! Screw those icky boiled hot dogs and stale popcorn… Grab a gourmet panini or pulled pork sandwich with tots at a relatively reasonable price. Sodas a beer are still stadium prices, but I’m willing to pay a little extra to have a Squirt or a Sierra Nevada.
+ Though it’s a little out of the ordinary to walk through a college campus to see a professional sports team, I actually enjoyed the Santa Clara University mini experience as we parked and walked up. It’s a beautiful campus with the fairly typical things you’d expect to see from kids in their late teens/​early 20’s: Sorority letters taped on the dorm windows, beer pong tables and abandoned cups littering the lawns, kids in shorts and sweatpants everywhere! Ah, those were the days…
+ Still a little confused about the giant blue Elmo-​looking mascot, but hey, at least they have one.
+ After the game ended, we accidentally got stuck waiting in the section where players stopped by and signed autographs/​took pics with the fans. You would think after running around for an hour and a half that they’d just want to head straight to the locker room, but most of them took the time to talk to the kids and take pictures. It was pretty cute to watch.
Overall, a wholesome good time in Santa Clara. We were lucky enough to score some complimentary tix through a friend, but would be happy to go again on our own dime. This would be a fun date night or group outing for sure. It didn’t seem to be overly expensive and, if you get there early enough, parking isn’t bad at all. Go support your MLS team, South Bay!

The san jose earthquakes are an AWESOME MLS team! I have never really been into watching soccer before, but i would definitely come back for a game — although that might not be possible with the new stadium on the way.
There really is not a bad seat at this stadium. Everything is easy with hardly any lines (my favorite type of event). There’s a VIP drinking area, which is where I spent most of my time. I sat in my seats for all of 10 minutes out of 2 hours. the VIP area is right next to the goal, and I don’t believe you need any special status to be there.
When I came, LA Galaxy was visiting and all their fans were escorted out and some arrested. The riot squad was in full force. how exciting.

I’ve been going to Buck Shaw Stadium for Earthquakes games since 2008. It’s a tidy, intimate stadium where it’s impossible to have a «bad seat» (in terms of view). No matter where you sit, you’ll be close to the field. This is pretty cool since you get a good view of the action and can actually hear the players talking.
While I want to give this stadium 5 stars, I just can’t objectively do that. There’s too many issues with it.
1. The seating. The majority of the seating is benched seating, so it’s common for someone to be sitting on your «side» of the seat. Aside from getting squeezed in, there’s also not much leg room. This sucks for us tall guys.
2. The walkways. On one half of the stadium, there are only two major walkways to the exit. This leads to serious traffic jams after the game and could potentially be a safety hazard.
3. The bathrooms. Not only are there not enough bathrooms, but they are pretty gross. I don’t expect stadium bathrooms to be fancy, but still… I’m not down with piss all over the floor and no soap.
4. The food. Not a lot of good food to order here. They don’t even have the major soda brands (I wanted Pepsi or Coke, but settled for RC Cola).
I’m really looking forward to the Quakes new stadium in 2014. Go San Jose!

Sure, I won’t complain when the Earthquakes get a new stadium in 2014, but in the meantime, I actually find Buck Shaw pretty endearing. If you’re a Quakes fan, you’ll definitely want to make sure you go for some games here before the team leaves.
The best thing about playing at Buck Shaw is the intimacy — you feel like you’re right down there with the players. Because it’s a college stadium — and not a massive sports arena that seats tens of thousands and doubles as a concert venue — you’re really close to the action and the rest of the fans, no matter where you sit. Most of the time at sporting events, you end up actually watching the massive TV showing you what’s happening on the pitch, but at Buck Shaw I spend most of my time watching the players themselves, because they’re so close. The pitch isn’t as large as some soccer fields are, so even if the action is happening way at the opposite end, it’s not too far away.
I really like the crowd at the Quakes games — a great mix of families and groups of friends in their 20’s and 30’s. Everyone seems to be there just to have fun and have a good time. It’s not like some sports where you get very unruly fans, or even like European football which suffers from a lot of hooliganism.
Before the games, you can get food and drinks from the food trucks that set up there and enjoy the pre-​game atmosphere. If you arrive really early, there’s usually a special item given out at the match. Plus at the end, when we win, you get a collectible pin of one of the players.
Your experience at Buck Shaw will be most enjoyable if you come prepared. Yes, the seats are uncomfortable, but that’s what those portable butt pads are for. If you want back support, then be sure to book your seats in the sections with seat backs. And please for goodness sake, if you’re a lady, use the bathroom either before you arrive at the stadium or before the game starts. The one bathroom I went to before the game had three stalls. Yeah that line is going to take forever during halftime.
Useful tip — if you want the most affordable seats, pick up vouchers from T-​Mobile for the T-​Mobile PowerPlay Zone. They’re $ 15 each, and then you take them to the Earthquakes offices and redeem them for any game in the season. And because no seat in Buck Shaw is a bad seat, you don’t have to worry. And the section is right near the Ultras (but not too close!), so you really feel the excitement of being there.
As far as parking goes, it’s definitely confusing because there are at least 5 lots and they’re not clearly marked on El Camino, but if you get there early, you can get parking in the $ 10 lot. The stadium is also really convenient to the Santa Clara Caltrain station across the street. For our last game, we were coming back from SF so we got off the train at 6, getting plenty of time for the pre-​game festivities, and then we caught the train down to SJ at 9:43 — perfect timing on both ends.

Buck Shaw Stadium is a pretty decent venue. I came here to watch the Earthquakes beat the snot out of the Whitecaps and, thanks to my girl, had VIP treatment complete with pre-​game food/​drink and seats on the field which offered a very good view of the game. Other than that, the staff was very friendly and the parking lot was very easy to find/​find parking in.
Other than that, I cannot wait til the Earthquakes get a real stadium. Until then, Buck Shaw is not terrible.

I love love love soccer but Buck Shaw is just ok.
Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by the Home Depot Center outside of Los Angeles with modern facilities, nicer seats and a decent amount of bathrooms.
Ok, enough sh** talking. The fans are fun here and it’s a great local, affordable team to watch.

I like the San Jose Earthquakes.
I like the grounds.
I like the crowd and the noise.
I like that parking is easy to find.
I like the food trucks.
I like the staff.
I like the beer garden.
I like watching soccer-​preferably men.
I like that the seats won’t break the bank and you can buy them at reasonable price.
It isn’t like the stadiums you see on TV, but last time I checked… you probably didn’t even know we had a MLS team playing in the bay area?
Support soccer, and the EARTHQUAKES. If nothing else, Nachos and Hot Dogs for the WIN.

Buck Shaw Stadium is suppoed to be temporary, but at the pace of stadium development this place is looking more permanent. But hey, it’s a «soccer specific stadium» since only soccer is played here.
I bet if an MLS bigwig were to read that last sentence, they would probably barf a little.
This place is barely adequate for soccer (or any professional sport for that matter), despite the fact that it’s the only sport played here. First of all, there aren’t enough restrooms. Soccer, unlike the more familiar American sports don’t have multiple breaks or timeouts. They have one long intermission between halves and that is the big rush for concessions and restrooms. The lines for everything from beer to souvenirs to restrooms is way too long, even when the crowd is less than capacity. For sellouts (of 10,000), it is damn near impossible.
The San Jose Earthquakes have done a lot since season one of Quakes 2.0 to improve the fan experience from bringing in port-​a-​potties, the beer garden by one of the corner flags, allowing beer in the stands and tailgating in their parking lots but despite those efforts, Buck Shaw is just barely adequate. And that’s me being generous because I’m a fan.
Buck Shaw will not give people any incentive to become a season ticket holder.
But hell, Buck Shaw is a dump and as such, it is befitting to a home ground for any Lew Wolff owned sports team.