SAP Center facts for kids
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The Shark Tank
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SAP Center in 2014
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 SAP Center at San Jose
Location in San Jose, California
SAP Center at San Jose
Location in California
SAP Center at San Jose
Location in the United States
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| Former names | San Jose Arena (1993–2001) Compaq Center (2001–2002) HP Pavilion (2002–2013) |
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| Address | 525 West Santa Clara Street |
| Location | San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 37°19′58″N 121°54′4″W / 37.33278°N 121.90111°W |
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| 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 (2001–2023) 17,435 (2023–present) Tennis: 11,386 |
| Field size | 450,000 sq ft (42,000 m2) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 28, 1990 |
| Opened | September 7, 1993 |
| Construction cost | $162.5 million ($364 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Sink Combs Dethlefs Prodis Associates |
| Project manager | HuntCor |
| Structural engineer | Martin/Martin, Inc. |
| Services engineer | M-E Engineers, Inc. |
| General contractor | Perini Building Company |
| Tenants | |
| San Jose Sharks (NHL) (1993–present) San Jose Grizzlies (CISL) (1994–1995) SAP Open (tennis) (1994–2013) San Jose Rhinos (RHI) (1994–1997, 1999) 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) (2015–2022) Bay Area Panthers (IFL) (2022–present) |
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The SAP Center at San Jose is a large indoor stadium in San Jose, California. It's often called "The Shark Tank" because it's the home of the San Jose Sharks, a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League. This arena hosts many exciting events, from sports games to concerts and shows.
Contents
History of the Shark Tank
How the Arena Began
The idea for a big arena in San Jose started in the mid-1980s. A group of local people, called Fund Arena Now (FAN), worked hard to make it happen. They talked to city leaders and looked for partners from major sports leagues like the NHL.
In 1988, the people of San Jose voted to use local taxes to build the arena. Construction began in 1991. Soon after, San Jose got its own NHL team, the Sharks! The arena was then updated to be perfect for NHL games. This included adding special seating areas and more seats for fans.
Name Changes Over the Years
The arena first opened in 1993 as the "San Jose Arena." It was a busy place right away. For a short time in 1996–97, it was even home to the Golden State Warriors basketball team while their usual stadium was being fixed.
In 2001, the arena's name changed to "Compaq Center at San Jose" when a company called Compaq bought the naming rights. Then, in 2002, another company, HP, bought Compaq. So, the arena became "HP Pavilion," named after one of HP's computer models.
Modern Upgrades and New Name
In 2007, the HP Pavilion got some cool new features. These included a giant LED video screen, like the ones you see in other big sports arenas.
In 2013, a German software company called SAP bought the naming rights. This is why it's now known as the "SAP Center at San Jose." One of the Sharks' owners, Hasso Plattner, also helped start SAP.
More recently, in 2022, the arena got an even bigger video screen system. It's twice the size of the old one! In 2023, a fancy new lounge area was added, which changed the total number of seats for hockey games slightly.
Exciting Events at SAP Center
The SAP Center is a very popular place for all kinds of events. In 2006, it sold more tickets for non-sporting events than any other venue in the western United States! It was also one of the top four busiest venues in the world that year.
Major Sporting Events
The arena has hosted many big sports competitions:
- United States Figure Skating Championships: It has hosted this event five times, including in 1996, 2012, 2018, 2021, and 2023.
- National Hockey League All-Star Game: The best NHL players came here in 1997.
- NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament: College basketball's "March Madness" games have been played here many times, including regional finals in 2002, 2007, and 2017.
- Stanley Cup Finals: In 2016, the San Jose Sharks played in their first-ever Stanley Cup Finals here. The Pittsburgh Penguins won the Cup in Game 6.
- USA Gymnastics Olympic Trials: Gymnasts competed here in 2012 and 2016 to earn a spot on the Olympic team.
Other Fun Events
Besides hockey and basketball, the SAP Center has also hosted:
- Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights: Organizations like Strikeforce, Bellator MMA, and UFC have held many exciting events here.
- WWE Pay Per Views: Wrestling fans have enjoyed big events like Royal Rumble (1998), SummerSlam (2001), and TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2018).
- Video game tournaments: Events like Intel Extreme Masters Season IX – San Jose in 2014 and Intel Extreme Masters Season X – San Jose brought competitive gaming to the arena.
Gallery
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Nighttime view of SAP Center
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Aerial view of SAP Center from a landing at San Jose International Airport (SJC)
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Side view of SAP Center
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Inside view of SAP Center during a game between the San Jose Sharks and the Calgary Flames in January 2015
See also
In Spanish: SAP Center para niños
- List of indoor arenas by capacity
