Why plan a tournament in Stockton?
A cultural hub, Stockton is an untouched treasure sure to deliver a memorable sports event where your players grind it out for glory. Just a short drive from the Bay Area, Sacramento and wine country, Stockton stands out as a beacon of excitement with its stunning downtown area and marina.
Stockton features some of the country’s most beautiful outdoor sports facilities and a balmy climate, making it the perfect option for tournaments in the winter months. Indoor sports have found a home in Stockton as well, with some excellent basketball, volleyball and hockey arenas; the area has hosted numerous tournaments in all these categories. Several professional and collegiate teams have call Stockton home.
Your participants will love playing with a backdrop of palm trees and sunshine in Stockton, and will find unique activities to make memories they can take home and remember forever. If you’re thinking west for your next tournament, look to Stockton, California.
What can you do in Stockton?
Tournament planners are looking for exciting activities to keep guests entertained as well as top-notch facilities where players can compete at the highest level. The goal is to find a location to be the benchmark your guests will compare every other tournament to. Located in California’s Central Valley, Stockton is the location you’re looking for, one that guests will be talking about for years.
It won’t take long as you walk around downtown Stockton to realize it’s the city’s cultural and entertainment hub. Historic buildings house unique boutiques and culinary finds. Art enthusiasts can check out the Haggin Museum, home to a world-class selection of 19th century painters. For players who need a Vitamin C boost, try the weekly farmers market every Friday between May and October.
Around town you’ll find cuisines of all ethnicities, including Mexican, Asian, Italian and American.
X Factors
- Social media marketing
- Volunteer staffing
- Grant/event sponsorship
- PR/Media coverage assistance
- Signage
- Site visit expenses
- Transportation assistance/coordination
- Discount program to local attractions & restaurants
Planner Perspective
What are the facilities like?
Banner Island Ballpark
Sports: Baseball
The Stockton Ports, the Class A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, call Banner Island Ballpark home. The minor league club moved to the waterfront facility after it was built in 2005. The park holds 5,200, with 4,200 stadium seats. It includes four luxury suites, two picnic areas and elevated club seating. On the banks of McLeod Lake, the marina-style ballpark offers an excellent backdrop your players and spectators will enjoy. The park offers full concession and restrooms, and parking is found to the west and north.
Stockton Arena
Sports: Hockey, basketball, volleyball, arena football, indoor soccer
Right next door to Banner Island Ballpark is the home of the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat. Also located on McLeod Lake, Stockton Arena opened in December of 2005 as part of a $68-million project. The NHL-regulation ice is smooth as glass. During hockey, soccer and arena football games, the waterfront arena seats 9,700. For court sports, the facility can house more than 11,000. With full concession and restrooms, spectators will take in the games comfortably. Parking is available in the parking garage northwest of the arena.
A.G. Spanos Arena – University of the Pacific
Sports: Basketball, volleyball
The University of the Pacific basketball and volleyball teams call A.G. Spanos Arena home as they take on their NCAA Division I rivals in the West Coast Conference. The facility has seen a number of renovations since the new millennium. In 2000 the facility was refurbished with a new court and in 2004 it received a new video board and scoreboard. In 2007 a new sound system was installed. The 6,150-seat facility is located on the University of the Pacific campus on the southwest side. Parking is available to the west and southeast.
Klein Family Field – University of the Pacific
Sports: Baseball
Next door to Spanos Arena on the campus of the University of the Pacific is the home of the Pacific Tigers’ baseball team. Klein Family Field opened in 2006 as the new home of the Tigers. The 2,500-seat facility received a renovation in 2007, adding batting cages and lights to the park. In 2009 the field got a facelift, getting a new upper concourse and receiving full concession and restrooms the next year. Players will enjoy the natural-grass field and covered dugouts. Parking is available to the east and west of the ballpark.
Arnaiz Softball Complex
Sports: Softball
The four-field Arnaiz Softball Complex is located on the campus of Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy on the northeast side of Stockton. It has played host to a number of high school events, as well as the Central California Athletic Association Division II Conference Softball Championships. The complex offers bleachers at each of the four fields and a press box at one. It offers a snack bar and restrooms for spectators. All of the fields are equipped with lighting for night play. Parking is available to the south of the complex.
Billy Hebert Field
Sports: Baseball
The former home of the Stockton Ports, historic Billy Hebert Field is a popular spot for high school tournaments at its location on the near north side of the city. A staple of baseball in Stockton since 1953, the 6,000-seat stadium features an artificial-turf playing surface and live video broadcasting. The grandstand is the same one built when the park opened in the ̓50s. It has also been used as a practice field for the Stockton Lightning Arena Football League. The field is lighted and offers restrooms and concessions. Parking is available to the east of the ballpark.
How do you get to Stockton?
Stockton is nestled between three major California cities with national highways running through the city and its own airport.
By Car: Two major California arteries run parallel along the east and west sides of Stockton. To the west, Interstate 5, locally known as the West Side Freeway, runs from the edge into the heart of Stockton. I-5 connects with interstates from the San Francisco area and runs north to Sacramento. It also runs south to Los Angeles. The Golden State Highway, State Route 99, runs to the east side of Stockton from Sacramento down into the heart of the southern portion of the state. Drivers from the east come into Sacramento via Interstate 80 on their way to Stockton.
By Air: Stockton’s Metro Airport is located on the southwest side of town. It services non-stop flights from Las Vegas and Mesa via Allegiant Airlines. Several other metro airports are just a short drive away including San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento.
