Salinas Sports Complex
Encyclopedia
The Salinas Sports Complex is a sporting complex located in Salinas, California
on the Central Coast
. The main feature of the complex is a 17,000-seat stadium suitable for rodeo
, soccer
, American football
, and rugby
. This stadium is where the Palma Chieftains and North Salinas Vikings play their home football games.
The grounds have been home to the California Rodeo Salinas
since 1911. The original wood stadium structure was built in 1924 and replaced in 1996. The stadium's field is wide enough to host soccer matches along with football games, and indeed it hosted the California Jaguars
of the United Soccer Leagues
(then USISL) from 1995 to 1999.
For several years, the PBR has hosted an event from the Touring Pro Division (the PBR's "minor league"; formerly the Challenger Tour) at the complex.
The complex is also home to baseball
, and softball
fields.
The stadium does not only host rodeo and sports events, it can be converted into a race track for auto racing
, monster truck
shows, and motorcycle racing.
Concerts have been held at the venue, such as Eagles in 2005, RBD
in 2006, Scorpions
in 2006, Mary J. Blige
in 2007 Luis Miguel
in 2007, and Creedence Clearwater Revisited
in 2009.
The Eagles performed at the venue in 2005 for their California Tour, selling out the stadium with 15,000 fans.
The Mexican Phenomenon RBD
also performed selling the whole stadium and having still more than 10,000 fans wanting to come in.
The Scorpions performed to a crowd of 6,000 fans for their 2006 "Unbreakable" tour.
Salinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
on the Central Coast
Central Coast of California
The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. It extends through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County...
. The main feature of the complex is a 17,000-seat stadium suitable for rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
, soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
. This stadium is where the Palma Chieftains and North Salinas Vikings play their home football games.
The grounds have been home to the California Rodeo Salinas
California Rodeo Salinas
Salinas is a major stop on the professional rodeo circuit. The Salinas rodeo began in 1911 as a Wild West Show on the site of the old race track ground, now the Salinas Sports Complex.-Origins:...
since 1911. The original wood stadium structure was built in 1924 and replaced in 1996. The stadium's field is wide enough to host soccer matches along with football games, and indeed it hosted the California Jaguars
California Jaguars
California Jaguars were an American soccer team that played in Salinas, California at the Salinas Sports Complex.They joined the USISL in 1995 as the Monterey Bay Jaguars, but changed the name a year later...
of the United Soccer Leagues
United Soccer Leagues
The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and...
(then USISL) from 1995 to 1999.
For several years, the PBR has hosted an event from the Touring Pro Division (the PBR's "minor league"; formerly the Challenger Tour) at the complex.
The complex is also home to baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
fields.
The stadium does not only host rodeo and sports events, it can be converted into a race track for auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
, monster truck
Monster truck
A monster truck is a pickup truck, typically styled after pickup trucks' bodies, modified or purposely built with extremely large wheels and suspension...
shows, and motorcycle racing.
Concerts have been held at the venue, such as Eagles in 2005, RBD
RBD
RBD was a two-time Latin-Grammy nominated Mexican pop group that gained popularity from Televisa's teen drama series Rebelde. RBD sold over 17 million digital downloads and over 20 million albums worldwide in four years since their formation, according to EMI...
in 2006, Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
in 2006, Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
in 2007 Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri is a Mexican singer. He is widely known only by the name Luis Miguel and is often referred to as "El Sol de México"...
in 2007, and Creedence Clearwater Revisited
Creedence Clearwater Revisited
Creedence Clearwater Revisited is a band formed in 1995 by former Creedence Clearwater Revival members Stu Cook and Doug Clifford .-The band:...
in 2009.
The Eagles performed at the venue in 2005 for their California Tour, selling out the stadium with 15,000 fans.
The Mexican Phenomenon RBD
RBD
RBD was a two-time Latin-Grammy nominated Mexican pop group that gained popularity from Televisa's teen drama series Rebelde. RBD sold over 17 million digital downloads and over 20 million albums worldwide in four years since their formation, according to EMI...
also performed selling the whole stadium and having still more than 10,000 fans wanting to come in.
The Scorpions performed to a crowd of 6,000 fans for their 2006 "Unbreakable" tour.
Miscellaneous information
- Japanese internment: The Salinas Rodeo Grounds was one of the locations used as a temporary detention campInternmentInternment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
in 1942 for Japanese and Japanese-Americans before they were relocated to more permanent facilities such as the Manzanar War Relocation Center.