SAP Center (San Jose, CA)

The SAP Center in San José (originally known as the San José Arena) is a covered arena located in San José, California. Its main tenant is San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, for which the arena received the nickname “Shark Tank”. Here is also the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League.

Basic information

Official site: http://www.sapcenter.com/ 

Arena capacity: 17,562 spectators 

Address: 525 W Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95113, USA 

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 37 ° 19′58 ″ n. 121 ° 54′4 ″ w. 

Year of construction: September 7, 1993 

Cost of construction: 312 million dollars

Field: 450,000 square meters. Feet (42,000 sq. M.) 

SAP Center Seating Plan

Club places for the game Sharks are located in the first sixteen rows of the lower level of Section 101-117 and 126-128. Ticket holders are offered wider seats with plenty of legroom, on-site service and access to the private Comerica Club lounges with high-end furniture, food and drinks available for purchase, club bars and numerous televisions.

Recommended places  for children and families

Sections 110 and 112:

• Right on many concessions, including on the stand with ice cream;
• Next to the toilets, it is good to be close to the children;
• Great view of the game.

Recommended places for guest impressions

Lines 1-16 in sections 107 and 109:

• A great opportunity for a close look at the Shark’s target;
• On-site waiting service and access to the club lounge in the first 16 rows.

Recommended places for great ice views

Lines 10-16 in sections 101 and 115:

• Great view from the center of the ice to the lowest seating level;
• The ideal seat height allows you to see almost every inch of ice;
• Club amenities premium in the first 16 rows of the section.

Where to buy tickets?

ThreatMetrix’s ticket office at the SAP Center is located in the southeast corner of the SAP Center in San Jose (directions). Tickets can be purchased there, by phone, at the Ticketmaster ticket office or online at Ticketmaster.com.

The ThreatMetrix ticket office at the SAP Center is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. If an event takes place at the SAP Center on weekends, the ticket office will open at 14:00.

Only Ticketmaster can guarantee that your purchased tickets are 100% tested and issued in your name, so they cannot be falsified. Keep in mind that tickets purchased through other channels are not verified.

Shark tickets are expensive and the organization uses dynamic prices (prices are based on market demand). I looked at their website, and at the second level one place was opened for $ 58. Well, I thought, I can buy it on the spot when I arrive, and lower the fee for the online order. I checked the same place two weeks later, it was up to 75 dollars. Unhappy.

At the beginning of the 2016 season, the Sharks organization decided that pocket schedules would not be offered. I was told that I had to download the “app” to get this information. This is a big disappointment, as pocket schedules make great souvenirs, and just holding them in your hand, you can visualize and plan visits to additional games, as well as memorize the visited game.

Food and drink prices are also high. Public transportation can reduce the cost of parking.

However, a visit to the Shark game is an extremely interesting, energetic event with the participation of fans, which is worth visiting several times.

How to get there?

Parking places

There are more than 6,000 parking spaces within a ½ mile radius of the SAP Center in San José. Approximately 1,500 places are located on the large parking lot next to the building with access to the streets of Santa Clara or Julian. There are another 500 places in areas less than one block from the building on Santa Clara Street on Fall, Montgomery and Cahill streets. There are many other parking lots located throughout the area, usually opening 2.5 hours before the scheduled start time of the event.

Both entrances have special parking spaces for guests with reduced mobility. Parking officials or San Jose police in the area may direct you to places. For parking in one of the designated places you must have a disabled sign or poster. Standard parking rates apply for parking in disabled parking spaces.

Prepaid parking

Season ticket holders can purchase parking with prepayment before the start of the season, guaranteeing them a place in the main parking lot (ABC Lot). Buyers of tickets for one or several games can purchase a prepaid parking with prepayment for certain events.

Keep in mind: space is limited for public parking. We guarantee a place for all owners of prepaid parking tickets at the ABC site (on site). If public parking is not available and you do not have a parking ticket, you will be redirected to off-site parking.

Bicycle parking

We recommend that you ride a bike to the center of Sap, as we will provide a safe place to park your bike. Please provide your own lock mechanism. Bicycles will remain unattended 30 minutes after the end of the event.

VTA

Buses VTA (Valley Transit Authority) service station Diridon. VTA Vasona Light Rail also serves the SAP center in the San Jose area, where there is a light rail station near Diridon station and on San Fernando Street at Delmas Avenue. The Vasona Light Rail service connects Campbell to the SAP center in San José and beyond to the city center, from north to Mountain View and south to Santa Teresa.

Caltrain

Diridon Station goes north to the peninsula and San Francisco and south to Gilroy.

Post-game service:

The last train on weekdays and Saturdays departs from San José Diridon Station at 22:30. If the game lasts a long time or goes into overtime, the train leaves 15 minutes immediately after the end of the game, but leaves no later than 22:45. The train makes all the regular local stops. Trains stop at Broadway and Atherton stations only on weekends.

ACE Train

Take the Ace train to Diridon station.

Capitol Corridor

Diridon Station from Auburn, Rocklin, Roseville, Sacramento, Davis, Suisun / Fairfield, Martinez, Richmond, Berkeley, Emeryville, Auckland, Hayward and Fremont / Centerville.

Disabled parking

Both entrances have special parking spaces for guests with reduced mobility. Accessibility is based on the principles of “first come, first served”. For parking in one of the designated places you must have a disabled sign or poster. For sharks and other events, we reserve additional free parking for guests with reduced mobility.Standard parking rates apply for parking in disabled parking spaces.

Since disabled parking is limited, we recommend purchasing parking in advance to guarantee a place on the ABC Lot (Onsite) site.

SAP Center provides accessible drop-off and landing zones located across the street on Montgomery Street (opposite the BMW saloon) and on the autumn street (across Santa Clara Street from the south entrance). Guests with disabilities may be disembarked and collected at the North entrance curb. The driver will have to pay for the entrance to the parking lot, but will be returned when leaving the site after disembarking a guest with a disability. To re-enter the ABC Party, inform the service personnel or the police officer that you are picking up a guest with a disability.

Ushera will be happy to help guests with disabilities enter the building and, if desired, take them to the site. To receive after the event, the driver must return to the same curb of the North entrance. Ushery will also be happy to accompany guests with disabilities back to the landing site.

Bus and coach parking

Bus and route parking is provided in turn. Access is provided only from the entrance to Autumn Street and St. John Street.

From the north HWY 87-Exit from Julian. Turn LEFT in the direction of SAP Center. Turn left onto Autumn Street.

From the south HWY 87-Exit from Julian. Turn right towards the center of SAP. Turn left onto Autumn Street.

Go to Autumn & St. John, and the valet will open the entrance to help with disembarking and parking. The cost of parking for one (1) bus or transfer is $50 (cash only).

** Please note that buses and taxis are required to purchase two (2) ABC PARKING passes for parking on Autumn Street.

R.V. and limousine

ATVs and limousines can be parked at the SAP Center in the San Jose car park for events, paying for the number of places used based on the rate for the space for the event. There is no overnight parking at the SAP Center.

Embarkation and disembarkation of passengers and passengers

SAP Center provides accessible drop-off areas located on Montgomery Street, Autumn Street, Cahill Street and Montgomery Street. John Street. Guests with disabilities may be disembarked and collected at the North entrance curb. The driver will have to pay for the entrance to the parking lot, but will be returned when leaving the site after disembarking a guest with a disability. Ushers will be happy to help guests with disabilities and escort them to their place if necessary.

The meeting of passengers and trips to the attractions is located on South Autumn Street 19 (across the street Santa Clara from the South entrance). Guests with disabilities can be picked up on the sidewalk of North Entrance. We recommend that the driver return 30 minutes early to avoid closing down the streets after the event.

Please note that within 20-30 minutes after the end of the event, Santa Clara Street from Autumn Street to Cahill Street is closed to traffic because of the safety of guests leaving the SAP Center. Autumn street from Santa Clara to the streets of St. John is also closed to traffic.

Reaching the SAP center is relatively easy, but, being inside, the hall is very crowded (as well as the rest rooms).

Various parking areas surround the venue, and all are within a few blocks of the venue. Parking costs range from $ 7 to $ 25 per game Sharks. The further, the lower the price.

Getting to the place is easy with public transportation, as the San Jose Diridon station is three blocks from the main gate. The station serves Caltrain and Amtrak trains, and also serves as a hub for VTA (Santa Clara Valley Transport Authority) buses in South Bay.

Menita San Jose International Airport is four miles from Shark Tank. A place to travel / pick up Uber is located near the Whole Foods Market, just one block from the venue. For reference: a trip to Uber for $ 8.18 took me from the Arena Hotel (a few steps away from Whole Foods) back to the airport. Public transport is available from the airport to the venue — it can take up to 45 minutes with several buses.

Fans get to the game early, so expect a long queue when the gate opens an hour before the game. Fans go through a metal detector; Tables are provided to hold bags for security personnel to ensure that no dangerous items are being delivered to the facility.

Steps up and down the portals are steeper than other places, so be careful if you go up or down, if the problem may be larger than the normal height of the steps.

Remember that the hall and rest rooms are very crowded before the game, between the periods and immediately after it ends.

Where to eat?

As in most major leagues in North America, the SAP Center offers a pleasant variety of food and beverages at exceptionally high prices.

Traditional concession stands are called GrillWorks and offer hamburgers, cheese steaks, hot dogs, sausages (including Portuguese sausages) at prices ranging from 7.75 to 12 dollars.

Right next to the entrance to the Classix building, you can buy healthy dishes (four different salads: Asian chicken, Thai beef noodles, fruit, or garden) for $ 9.

Other options include Iguanas (nachos, burritos), Show Dogs (special dogs and baked potatoes), Panda Express (Asian), Togo’s (sandwiches) and more.

Split-level dining rooms are located on each side of the room, including the East Coast Pizzeria Amici, Gordon Biersch, local BBQ Amarillo Willy, Pizza Round Table and pizza Craft Beer Central. Be sure to visit these eating places at the top (there are tables and chairs at the top where you can sit and enjoy your meals).

All kinds of snacks are offered, such as ice cream, popcorn, pretzel, Rita’s Italian ice, cookies, sweets and more.

Pepsi — the choice of soda in 5.25$/6.50$. Several bars and beer stands are scattered throughout the hall. IPA Laguanitas (like other local brands) will cost $ 11 for a standard and $ 13.50 for a souvenir cup.

It is recommended to walk around the hall to see all the dishes and drinks before ordering.

Grill at SAP Center is a restaurant open to all owners of tickets to the Shark San José games.

Atmosphere

Watching the “Shark” game in the “Shark Aquarium” is a wonderful treat that is worth a visit at least once for travelers and locals.

The architecture and layout of the object is amazing both inside and outside. The entrances are light and open. When entering through the north entrance, take an escalator to the level of the hall and look at the San Jose stamp hanging from the ceiling. Turn around and see the stunning banner of San Jose sharks.

There is only one room for fans to descend the stairs to level 100 or to level 200. Luxury suites are at level 200, and club seats are at level 100.

The seats are really comfortable; they are all soft and fairly wide, with medium legroom and they all come with cup holders. The temperature at the stadium is alsoquite comfortable, since it is not cold. T-shirt with long sleeves and a hoodie and / or knitwear will do.

Video scoreboard with a central mount clear, with high-quality playback and displays. They publish the text / words of pre-recorded announcements, including the official names of games, advertisements, upcoming events, etc. For those who do not hear well. The names of the scorers are displayed, but not those who receive assistance (s). As for penalties, only the player’s number and time are indicated, and not his name and violation’s name.

One of the best features of entertainment in gaming day is playing Mikey Day on the organ. Although there is some canned music (not too loud or intrusive), the main thing here is to listen to organ music (and it is shown when playing it on the video card). Well done.

Inter-period entertainment is not over. This includes such things as the hamster race, the 50/50 lottery and the junior hockey shooting competition. Zamboni even has a fin (Sharks / fin — get it?).

Neighborhood

The SAP Center is located in downtown San Jose, California, where there are many entertainment venues, restaurants, galleries and museums.

Park Guadalupe River is next door. He has a river, trails, grass, trees and gardens; for both children and adults, it has a large number of Pokemon to catch.

The San Pedro Square Market, four or five blocks from the SAP Center, is worth a visit to enjoy morning coffee, lunch, dinner, drinks and live outdoor music. While there, if you are a history buff, check out Peralta Adobe — Fallon House Historical Site (don’t forget to call during the tour).

Several restaurants are located a few blocks away and include Poor House Bistro (New Orleans cuisine), Firehouse Gastropub No. 1 and Henry Hi-Life (steak and barbecue). All offer good food, good drink and a unique environment.

On the Whole Foods Market, a block west of the SAP Center, is Mission Creek, a missionary brewing company that offers mainly Californian beer and some dishes, and can be another place to visit before the game (it closes at 10 pm on weekdays and 11 pm at the weekend)).

For places to stay when visiting outside the city, the Arena Hotel is recommended, which is only three blocks from the venue. It is clean, safe, comfortable and affordable. Of course, a little further from the hotel are more luxurious hotels such as San Jose Marriott, The Westin and Hyatt Place.

The fans

Nice to see fans watching the game; not their phones, and this is what the Shark witnessed. Fans thump when the opposing team is announced. They speak rationally about the lines and players of different sharks.

Every night in the stands there is a sea of ​​teal (popular shark jersey color).

Over the past few years, fan attendance is still 95% or more. Since the shark tank has less space (17,996)… the sixth largest in the venue of the NHL… it will never take first place in the attendance of the NHL. However, the smaller capacity makes it pleasant and cozy with the fans closer to the rink and gaming action.

Another cool thing fans do is “The Chomp”. When “Sharks” begin a powerful game, the song from the movie “Jaws” sounds, and fans squeeze their fingers, stretch their arms and move them up and down to form a jaw.

Additionally

Doubleheaders are compliments for a place that offers sports travelers the opportunity to see “several sports activities” over the weekend.

Organ music is often overlooked, but the sound of the organ is reminiscent of earlier times of hockey.

San Jose City Center has a good city center, and the SAP Center is in the center of this area, so a trip to the site also allows the fan to easily explore the city.

History

Shortly after construction began, the NHL provided San Jose with a franchise for expansion. After it was discovered that the arena would not be suitable for use by the NBA or the NHL, as originally planned, the Sharks were asked to update it to NHL standards, including the addition of luxury suites, press boxing and increased capacity.

In 1993, the arena was completed and was originally called the San Jose Arena.

During the NBA season, the Arena served as the home of the Golden State soldiers, while their usual home court in Auckland (now known as Oracle Arena) was under renovation.

Title rights were sold to Compaq, and it was renamed the Compaq Center in San Jose. After HP bought Compaq, the arena was renamed HP Pavilion, the same name as one of its computer models.

It was announced that the HP Pavilion in San Jose will receive several building improvements, including a new LED video display system with a central suspension from Daktronics, similar to TD Garden, home to the Boston Bruins NHL.

SAP, a German software company (co-founder of Sharks managing partner Hasso Plattner, who is also the chairman of SAP’s board of directors), acquired rights to the name of an object in a five-year deal worth $ 3.35 million per year. The arena was renamed “SAP Center in San José” after approval by the San José City Council.