Step Inside: SAP Center at San Jose – Home of the San Jose Sharks

Home of the San Jose Sharks

SAP Center at San Jose — also referred to as “The Shark Tank” — is home to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. Located at 525 West Santa Clara Street, the arena — recognizable for its stainless steel facade and glass pyramid entrances — was built on the western end of downtown San Jose, just across Barack Obama Blvd. from the Guadalupe River.

Below, take a step into SAP Center at San Jose, including the stadium’s history, parking and admission, and capacity and seating options, as well as food and beverage options inside the arena.

SAP Center at San Jose History

SAP Center at San Jose opened in 1993 as San Jose Arena, with the Sharks moving into the venue after spending their first two seasons playing home games at San Francisco’s Cow Palace.

A few years after opening, the Golden State Warriors spent the 1996-97 NBA season in the arena while their typical home court, Oakland Arena, was under renovation. That same season, the venue also hosted the 1997 NHL All-Star Game, with the East beating the West, 11-7.

By 2001, the naming rights to the arena had been sold to Compaq, and it was officially renamed Compaq Center at San Jose for a single season. The following year, HP acquired Compaq, prompting the arena’s name to once again be changed — this time to HP Pavilion. German software company SAP — which was co-founded by Sharks managing partner and chairman of the board of the arena Hasso Plattner — purchased the naming rights to the stadium in 2013.

In 2016, the Sharks made the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise’s history, with games 3, 4 and 6 being played at SAP Center.

The venue has been home to many other Bay Area-based teams over the years, including the San Jose Grizzlies of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, Roller Hockey International’s San Jose Rhinos, the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League, the San Jose Lasers of the American Basketball League, the National Lacrosse League’s San Jose Stealth, the American Hockey League’s San Jose Barracuda and the Bay Area Panthers of the Indoor Football League.

Additional major events that have taken place in the arena’s history include the 1996 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the 1999 NCAA Women’s Final Four, the 2007 USA Gymnastics Visa Championships, UFC 139, the 2012 and 2016 USA Gymnastics Olympic Trials and multiple NCAA men’s basketball games, semifinals and finals.

Parking and Admission at SAP Center at San Jose

SAP Center at San Jose offers a parking garage with 1,500 onsite parking spaces for attendees, with more than 3,000 others available within a ⅓-mile radius of the arena. Parking can be reserved ahead of time courtesy of the arena’s official website.

Season ticket holders for the San Jose Sharks season can also purchase prepaid parking for a guaranteed spot in the main ABC Lot at the venue. All lots typically open two hours prior to the start of the event.

Limited accessible parking is also available in the primary ABC lot on a first-come, first-serve basis.

SAP Center at San Jose can also be reached via San Jose’s public transit systems, including Caltrain, Valley Transit Authority buses, the VTA Vasona Light Rail and the Altamont Corridor Express train.

SAP Center at San Jose Capacity & Seating Options

SAP Center at San Jose has a total capacity of 17,562 for hockey games, split between an upper bowl and lower bowl, terrace, plaza, concourse suites and a penthouse lounge. For concerts and other events, the arena’s capacity can reach up to 18,500 due to additional floor seating.

Food & Beverage Options at SAP Center at San Jose

SAP Center at San Jose boasts a wide variety of food and beverage options for fans, including Classix MKT, Tenders Love and Chicken, The Burger District, Sugar + Ice, Sushi Confidential, Arteagas, Gyro to Hero, Smoking Pig BBQ, Bibo’s NY Pizza, Southern Bucket, BBQ Kalbi, Izzy’s Cheesesteaks, Treat Street, El Halal Amigos, Serious Dumplings, Slush Cantina, Augie’s Montréal Deli, NorCalBrewing, Voyager Coffee, Corona Premier Ice Bar, Modelo Mercado and more.

The club level of the arena also offers The Finyard, Puck Parlor, PizzA’more, Slapshot Cantina, Sin Bin, Carving Station and multiple club-level bars for alcoholic beverages.