Upcoming games
Schedule data syncs from our events feed. Ticket links go to SeatGeek.
- Get ticketsSporting JAX at Monterey BayThu, Jun 11, 2026 · 7:00 PM PDT
- Get ticketsEl Paso Locomotive FC at Monterey BaySun, Jun 21, 2026 · 7:00 PM PDT
- Get ticketsOrange County SC at Monterey BaySun, Jul 26, 2026 · 7:00 PM PDT
- Get ticketsNew Mexico United at Monterey BaySun, Aug 9, 2026 · 7:00 PM PDT
- Get ticketsSacramento Republic FC at Monterey BaySun, Aug 30, 2026 · 7:00 PM PDT
- Get ticketsPhoenix Rising FC at Monterey BaySun, Sep 6, 2026 · 7:00 PM PDT
- Get ticketsLexington at Monterey BaySun, Sep 27, 2026 · 7:00 PM PDT
- Get ticketsColorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Monterey BaySun, Oct 18, 2026 · 7:00 PM PDT
- Get ticketsLas Vegas Lights FC at Monterey BaySun, Oct 25, 2026 · 7:00 PM PDT
Plan your trip
Curated booking starting points for a San Jose trip. Some links are affiliate links — purchases may earn GameAway a commission at no extra cost to you.
Parking
Reserve a spot in advance — game-day parking near Cardinale Stadium fills early.
Getting there
Cardinale Stadium sits on the campus of California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) in Seaside, California, in Monterey County, the USL Championship home of Monterey Bay FC. Driving uses SR-1 (the Cabrillo Highway) to the Lightfighter Drive / Imjin Parkway exits and a short drive into the CSUMB campus, or US-101 to the Salinas / SR-68 exits and a drive west to the Monterey Peninsula. There is no commuter rail to the Monterey Peninsula. From San Jose it is about a 90-minute drive south on US-101 and SR-156; from San Francisco it is about a two-hour drive south. Monterey Regional Airport sits a short drive west. Team-affiliated and adjacent CSUMB campus surface lots ring the stadium, and reserving in advance via the parking link above typically beats match-day pricing on weekend Monterey Bay FC home matches. Rideshare drop-off zones are signed at the stadium perimeter. Confirm bag and entry rules on the Monterey Bay FC official site before going.
The neighborhood
Cardinale Stadium sits on the campus of California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) in Seaside — the city directly north of Monterey on the former Fort Ord military base land. The campus and the broader former Fort Ord land sit on dunes overlooking Monterey Bay. The Monterey Peninsula's full tourism array sits within a short drive: downtown Monterey with Cannery Row (the John Steinbeck-immortalized waterfront, now restaurants and the Monterey Bay Aquarium), Old Fisherman's Wharf, the 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach, Pebble Beach Golf Links (the most-cited public golf venue in the United States — the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am host), and Carmel-by-the-Sea (the famously walkable seaside village with the Mission Carmel). Big Sur — the coastal stretch south of Carmel — sits a short drive south and is the regional must-do scenic drive. The neighborhood reads as a college-campus stadium with one of the most famously beautiful coastal-tourism regions in the world as the broader draw.
Where to eat & drink nearby
Pre-match stops on the Monterey Peninsula a short drive away include Old Fisherman's Grotto on Old Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey (the iconic Monterey Bay-seafood and clam-chowder destination — the canonical pre-match stop), The Sardine Factory on Cannery Row (the destination Cannery Row seafood-and-steakhouse sit-down since 1968 — a Monterey institution), and Passionfish in Pacific Grove (the destination sustainable-seafood sit-down — a Monterey Peninsula favorite). Alvarado Street Brewery in downtown Monterey is the destination Monterey Peninsula craft-brewery taproom. Compagno's Market & Deli is the canonical Monterey Italian deli and sandwich stop. Loulou's Griddle in the Middle on Wharf 2 in Monterey is the destination Monterey breakfast-and-lunch institution. Mundaka in Carmel-by-the-Sea is the destination Carmel Spanish-tapas sit-down. Pre-match crowds at the Cannery Row and Wharf spots build steadily on Monterey Bay FC weekend home matches.
First-timer tips
Plan to arrive 60-90 minutes before kickoff — CSUMB campus parking flow is straightforward but the closest lots fill steadily on weekend home dates. Cardinale Stadium opened in 2022 on the CSUMB campus in Seaside as the inaugural home of Monterey Bay FC — a USL Championship expansion club that began play in the 2022 season. The stadium was newly built for the franchise on the former Fort Ord military base land that now hosts CSUMB. Monterey Bay FC's branding ties into the Monterey Bay coastal-conservation identity — the club's partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a defining sustainability narrative. The club's supporters' culture has built quickly given the broad Monterey Peninsula tourism market and a strong soccer-following Latino population in nearby Salinas and the broader Salinas Valley agricultural-region community. Mobile-only tickets are the norm. Bag policy and gate-open times shift season to season; confirm on the Monterey Bay FC official site before going.
Best games to catch
USL Championship Western Conference matches against Sacramento Republic FC (the canonical Northern California rivalry), Oakland Roots (another Bay Area rival), Phoenix Rising FC (Phoenix Rising FC Stadium), San Antonio FC, New Mexico United (Isotopes Park), El Paso Locomotive FC (Southwest University Park), Las Vegas Lights FC (Cashman Field), and Orange County SC are the most reliable above-average regional draws. Any U.S. Open Cup home dates and USL Championship Playoff matches price as the hardest tickets of the year. Any match against a current or former MLS opponent in U.S. Open Cup play is the canonical bucket-list date. Themed-jersey nights, Monterey Bay Aquarium partnership-themed match dates, and supporters'-group themed dates anchor the strongest weekend crowds. The club publishes the full match-day promotional calendar on the official site.
What to know
Cardinale Stadium opened in 2022 on the campus of California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) in Seaside, California, as the inaugural home of Monterey Bay FC, a USL Championship expansion club that began play in the 2022 season. The stadium was newly built for the franchise on the former Fort Ord military base land that now hosts CSUMB. Capacity sits around 6,000 in the current configuration. The USL Championship is the second tier of American men's professional soccer below MLS. Monterey Bay FC's branding ties into the Monterey Bay coastal-conservation identity — the club's partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a defining sustainability narrative. The club is owned by an ownership group that includes Anthony Cardinale, for whom the stadium is named. The supporters' culture has built quickly given the broad Monterey Peninsula tourism market and a strong soccer-following Latino population in the surrounding Salinas Valley agricultural region. The stadium sits on dunes overlooking Monterey Bay.
Frequently asked questions
What time do gates open at Cardinale Stadium?
Gates typically open about 90 minutes before kickoff for standard matches, sometimes earlier for marquee opponents or themed events. Exact gate-open times shift season to season — check the Monterey Bay FC official match-day page for the specific date's gate-open time.
Who plays at Cardinale Stadium?
Monterey Bay FC, a USL Championship men's professional soccer club, plays its home matches at Cardinale Stadium on the CSUMB campus in Seaside. The USL Championship is the second tier of American men's professional soccer below MLS.
Is the stadium really on a college campus?
Yes — Cardinale Stadium sits on the campus of California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) in Seaside, on the former Fort Ord military base land. The stadium was built specifically for Monterey Bay FC and opened with the club's inaugural 2022 season.
Where can I park near Cardinale Stadium?
Team-affiliated and adjacent CSUMB campus surface lots ring the stadium. Reserving in advance via the parking link above typically beats match-day pricing on weekend Monterey Bay FC home matches. Confirm current rates and availability before driving in.
How do I get to Seaside from San Jose or San Francisco?
Driving is the only realistic option — about 90 minutes from San Jose south on US-101 and SR-156, or about two hours from San Francisco. There is no commuter rail to the Monterey Peninsula. Monterey Regional Airport sits a short drive west of the stadium.
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