March 2024
Dear Friends of SAP Center:
In Sept. 2023, SAP Center at San Jose celebrated the 30th anniversary of its first live event – the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus (which will return to SAP Center on Sept. 6-8, 2024 for the first time since going on hiatus in 2017!) The pristine new San Jose Arena served as a pillar of civic pride for the city, helping San Jose transition from its reputation as a lesser-respected sibling to its northern neighbors of San Francisco and Oakland.

After more than 30 years and 50 million visitors through its doors, SAP Center is now the third-oldest arena in the National Hockey League and the only one that has not undergone a major renovation. Despite the consistent efforts of Sharks Sports & Entertainment (the arena’s operator) and the City of San Jose (the arena’s owner) to maintain the facility as one of the top indoor arenas in the country, Father Time waits for no one.
Over the last decade, Sharks Sports & Entertainment and owner Hasso Plattner have invested more than $100M in maintaining and upgrading the city’s arena. In total, the Sharks have contributed significantly more funds updating and upgrading the arena than the $162.5 million it originally cost to build.
Previous front-facing arena improvements have included the recently upgraded center-hung video display, arena ribbon panels, marquee premium areas like the Penthouse Lounge and Sharks Lounge on the arena club level, and “Back-of-house” projects have included installing a new ice-making system, replacing the arena roof and escalators, and upgrading communications technology throughout the arena.
While visitors to San Jose’s crown entertainment jewel may not overtly recognize the facility’s true age due to thoughtful maintenance and care over the years, important decisions lie ahead related to the building’s future viability. Looking ahead to the next 30 years, there is much work to be done to ensure that SAP Center continues to positively impact the downtown San Jose economy and its residents' lives. As we have for the past three decades, Sharks Sports & Entertainment remains committed to working with local leaders to ensure that the city-owned arena and the legacy of the Sharks remain engrained in San Jose.
We encourage you to continue to visit futureofsapcenter.com to stay informed on the progress of these discussions regarding one of the City of San Jose’s most important assets.
Best,
Sr. Vice President, Government Affairs
Sharks Sports & Entertainment
SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL RANKS THE CITY OF SAN JOSE AS THE SECOND-BEST CITY IN CALIFORNIA FOR HOSTING SPORTING EVENTS IN 2024 POLL
The City of San Jose, paired with the City of Santa Clara, was ranked by the Sports Business Journal as the second-best city in California and the No. 17-ranked city in the United States for hosting sporting events in 2024. In its second annual poll, the Sports Business Journalranked the 25 best sports business cities, focusing on those that have been the most successful at attracting and hosting sporting events between 2017 and 2023, which are major economic drivers for these communities.
The Sports Business Journal’s 2024 Best Sports Business Cities poll focuses on the U.S. cities that have had the most recent success at attracting and hosting sporting events.
The SBJ built a database of 1,500 events that have taken place and/or been awarded since Jan. 1, 2017, through Dec. 31, 2023. During that time, the San Jose and Santa Clara markets hosted the 2018 and 2023 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships; 2019 College Football Championship Game; 2019 NHL All-Star Game; 2019 USA Swimming Championship; 2019 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball First & Second Round; 2019 & 2021 NCAA Women’sCollege Cup; 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers; 2022 USA Water Polo Junior Olympics; 2023 USA Gymnastics U.S. Championships; 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Regionals; 2024 AHL All-Star Classic; 2024 USA Fencing North American Cup; and 2024 Sports Events andTourism Association CEO Summit.
Future events include: This summer’s Copa América; Super Bowl LX; 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Regionals; and 2026 FIFA World Cup (six matches).
For a complete list of the Sports Business Journal’s year-end rankings of the Top-25 Cities Most Successful at Hosting Sporting Events, click HERE.
Please join us in congratulating Franchesca Escobar of William C. Overfelt High School in East San Jose. She has been named to the 2024 Sharks Bay Area All-Star Scholarship Team presented by Chegg.
Franchesca is a tri-sport athlete in cheerleading, wrestling, and swimming and is the true definition of resilient. At the end of her sophomore year, Franchesca suffered a severe concussion due to a swimming accident that stripped her of the ability to talk, read, and walk. For approximately four weeks, she was in the hospital going through physical therapy while trying to stay up to date with her schooling. Following her recovery, Franchesca has maintained an unweighted 4.0 GPA, volunteers to support social-justice platforms, and has jumped back into her sports career without hesitation.
Recently, S.J. Sharkie made a surprise visit to Franchesca in her science class and presented her with a $5,000 scholarship towards higher education. Our amazing partners at Chegg are graciously matching her scholarship, bringing the total donation to $10,000! Franchesca and the four other BAASST winners from the A's, Giants, Warriors, and Quakes will be celebrated during the Sharks home game on April 6th!
CHEF RODNEY BACA – THE SHOP BY CHEF BACA
Who supports our team when the Sharks are on the road? Chef Rodney Baca, long time Sharks fan, community activist, and renowned culinary star is the answer. Chef Baca has trained at many of the world’s great restaurants, with a heavy focus on Europe and Los Angeles Michelin Star dining establishments. Chef Baca has been firmly rooted in the Bay Area since 2004, creating delights for corporate catering events, Sharks games and our Sharks flight meals as well as other Bay Area pro teams. In addition to being a fantastic chef, Rodney cares deeply about our local community. In partnership with the Sharks, Rodney created a Chef’s Market to ensure that our critical dining industry members were fed during the Covid response even when many had lost their employment.
Q : What does it mean working for the Sharks and being part of TeamTeal? TheSharks bring people together, promote and support small business and the entire downtown. The Sharks are the foundation to our downtown business and dining economy. The Sharks care about small businesses like mine and a great experience for their fans, including great food. That is the type of environment where the Baca team thrives.
Q : What is your favorite Shark memory? I was there when Joel Ward got his hat trick. Now that was a special night at SAP Center. I will never forget November 1, 2013. I thought the roof was going to come down that night!
Q : Who is your favorite Shark? Justin Bailey. My wife Maddy and I have watched Justin grow and develop as a player. He is a fantastic hockey player and a great person.