SAP Center

SAP Center at San Jose
The Shark Tank

Arena in 2008 when it was known as HP Pavilion at San Jose
Former names San Jose Arena (1993–2001)[1]
Compaq Center (2001–2002)
HP Pavilion (2002–2013)
Address 525 West Santa Clara Street
Location San Jose, California
Coordinates 37°19′58″N 121°54′4″W / 37.33278°N 121.90111°W / 37.33278; -121.90111Coordinates: 37°19′58″N 121°54′4″W / 37.33278°N 121.90111°W / 37.33278; -121.90111
Public transit AmtrakAltamont Corridor ExpressCaltrainSanta Clara VTA Diridon Station
Owner City of San Jose
Operator San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises
Capacity Concerts: 19,190
Basketball: 18,543
Wrestling: 18,300
Ice hockey: 17,562[2]
Tennis: 11,386
Field size 450,000 square feet (42,000 m2)
Construction
Broke ground June 28, 1990[3]
Opened September 7, 1993
Construction cost US$162.5 million
($267 million in 2016 dollars[4])
Architect Sink Combs Dethlefs
Prodis Associates
Project manager HuntCor[5]
Structural engineer John A. Martin & Associates[6]
Services engineer M-E Engineers, Inc.[7]
General contractor Perini Building Company[5]
Tenants
San Jose Sharks (NHL) (1993–present)
San Jose Grizzlies (CISL) (1994–1995)
SAP Open (tennis) (1994–2013)
San Jose Rhinos (RHI) (1994–1997)
San Jose SaberCats (AFL) (1995–2008, 2011–2015)
Golden State Warriors (NBA) (1996–1997)
San Jose Lasers (ABL) (1996–1998)
San Jose Stealth (NLL) (2004–2009)
San Jose Barracuda (AHL) (2015–present)

SAP Center at San Jose (formerly San Jose Arena, Compaq Center at San Jose and HP Pavilion at San Jose) is an indoor arena located in San Jose, California. Its primary tenant is the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, for which the arena has earned the nickname "The Shark Tank". It is also the home to the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League.[8]

History

Aerial view of SAP Center from a landing at SJC

Plans for a San Jose arena began in the mid-1980s, when a group of local citizens formed Fund Arena Now (FAN). The group contacted city officials and pursued potential sponsors and partners NHL and NBA. In the late 1980s, mayor Tom McEnery met with FAN and a measure to allocate local taxes for arena construction came up for a public vote on June 7, 1988, and passed by a narrow margin.[9][10]

Construction began in 1991. Soon after the NHL granted an expansion franchise to San Jose, it was discovered that the arena would not be suitable for NBA or NHL use as originally designed. The Sharks requested an upgrade to NHL standards, including the addition of luxury suites, a press box and increased seating capacity.[11] The arena was completed in 1993 under the name San Jose Arena.

Side view of the arena

In 2001, naming rights were sold to Compaq, and it was renamed Compaq Center at San Jose. After HP purchased Compaq in 2002, the arena was renamed HP Pavilion, the same name as one of its computer models. It was announced in late April 2007 that the HP Pavilion at San Jose would be receiving several building improvements, including a new center-hung LED video display system from Daktronics similar to that of the TD Banknorth Garden, home of the Boston Bruins of the NHL.[12]

In June 2013, German software company SAP (co-founded by Sharks managing partner Hasso Plattner, who is also SAP's chairman of the board) purchased the naming rights to the facility in a five-year deal worth $3.35 million per year. The arena was renamed "SAP Center at San Jose" following the approval of the San Jose City Council.[13]

Events

In 2006, the SAP Center sold the most tickets (633,435) to non-sporting events of any venue in the Western United States, and the fourth highest total in the world, after Madison Square Garden in New York City (USA), the Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester (UK), and the Air Canada Centre in Toronto (Canada).[14] The SAP Center hosted events for WWE such as the 1998 Royal Rumble, 2001 SummerSlam and 2007 Great American Bash. It also hosted the 2015 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, as well as the episode of WWE Raw the day after WrestleMania 31. It also hosted the first Raw after Rowdy Roddy Piper's death. Other events hosted at the arena include the 1996 United States Figure Skating Championships, the 47th National Hockey League All-Star Game in 1997, the 1999 NCAA Women's Final Four, ArenaBowl XVI in 2002, the 2007 USA Gymnastics Visa Championships, and UFC 139 on November 19, 2011. Intel Extreme Masters Season IX – San Jose in 2014[15] and Intel Extreme Masters Season X – San Jose were held at venue.[16] Prior to Super Bowl 50 in nearby Santa Clara, the arena housed introductory media activities for the event.[17] The SAP Center hosted games 3, 4, and 6 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals, with the cup being presented to the Pittsburgh Penguins in game 6.[18]

References

  1. 2011-2012 San Jose Sharks Media Guide
  2. Pollak, David (September 10, 2009). "The futility of chasing Marleau-Heatley rumors — plus an economic update from HP Pavilion". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
  3. "Carry Me Back to the Old Sod". San Jose Mercury News. June 17, 1990. p. 2C. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  4. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Facts & Figures". HP Pavlion at San Jose. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  6. "Entertainment Projects". John A. Martin & Associates. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  7. "Arenas". M-E Engineers, Inc. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  8. (July 10, 2013) San Jose Sharks shark tank HP-pavilion Sap Center, USA Today
  9. Purdy, Mark (July 7, 2008). "Arena vote 20 years ago made San Jose a real city". San Jose Mercury News. p. 1A. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  10. Cameron, Steve (1994). Feeding Frenzy! The Wild New World of the San Jose Sharks. Taylor Publishing Co. pp. 43, 51–52.
  11. Cameron, Steve (1994). Feeding Frenzy! The Wild New World of the San Jose Sharks. Taylor Publishing Co. pp. 51–56.
  12. "HP Pavilion Becoming Tech Testing Lab for Arena Improvements". SportsBusiness Daily. April 17, 2009. Retrieved April 17, 2009.
  13. "Confirmed: Goodbye, HP Pavilion. Hello, SAP Center". Silicon Valley Business Journal. Jun 5, 2013. Retrieved Jun 5, 2013.
  14. "2006 Year End Ticket Sales" (PDF). Pollstar. January 17, 2007. Retrieved June 14, 2007.
  15. Bailey, Brandon (September 16, 2014). "Game on: Big video-game tournament coming to San Jose". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  16. Gu, Rachel (November 15, 2015). "Mark Cuban Wants to Play League of Legends". Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  17. "SAP CENTER IN SAN JOSE TO HOST SUPER BOWL 50 OPENING NIGHT". KGO-TV. February 1, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  18. https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/pit-vs-sjs/2016/06/12/2015030416#game=2015030416,game_state=final
Wikimedia Commons has media related to SAP Center.
Events and tenants
Preceded by
Cow Palace
Home of the
San Jose Sharks

1993 – present
Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
DCU Center (as the Worcester Sharks)
Home of the
San Jose Barracuda

2015 –
Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena
Home of the
Golden State Warriors

1996 – 1997
Succeeded by
The Arena in Oakland
Preceded by
Fleet Center
Host of the
NHL All-Star Game

1997
Succeeded by
General Motors Place
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