Compaq Center

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

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 from the NHL and NBA. In the late 1980s, mayor Tom McEnery met with FAN, and subsequently a measure to allocate local taxes for arena construction came up for a public vote on June 7, 1988, passing by a narrow margin. The arena was principally designed by Denver architect Charles Sink, a senior partner of Sink Combs Dethlefs. In 1991, soon after construction began, the NHL granted an expansion franchise to San Jose. After 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. In 1993, the arena was completed and initially named the 'San Jose Arena'. In 2001, naming rights were sold to Compaq, and it was renamed 'Compaq Center at San Jose' (not to be confused with the Compaq Center (formerly The Summit) in Houston, Texas). After HP purchased Compaq in 2002, the arena was renamed 'HP Pavilion', the same name as one of its computer models. 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 US$3.35 million per year. The arena was renamed 'SAP Center at San Jose' upon approval by the San Jose City Council.

In Their Own Story

The arena lights dimmed to a cool blue as the opening faceoff approached. A single spotlight hit center ice, illuminating the fresh markings of the Sharks logo painted on the surface. In the stands, a veteran fan adjusted his teal scarf, watching the players skate through warmups with practiced grace. The silence was heavy, broken only by the sharp clack of sticks against the boards. Then, the horn blared. The crowd surged forward, a wall of sound that echoed off the concrete rafters, signaling the start of another night where the Sharks fought for glory in the heart of the tech valley.

Reader's Guide

SAP Center at San Jose is located in San Jose, California. It has a seating capacity for hockey games of 17,435 as of April 2023. The arena has undergone several upgrades, including a new center-hung LED video display system in 2007, a new center-hung system from Daktronics in September 2022, and a penthouse lounge completed in April 2023. In August 2025, it was announced that the Sharks would sign an extension keeping them at the arena until 2051, with several upgrades planned totaling $425 million, including improvements to elevators, restrooms, plumbing, Wi-Fi network, sound system, electrical, fire protection system, emergency generators, concourse, penthouse, club levels, and locker rooms. Further upgrades announced in February 2026 include an expansion to the team store, an increase in lower bowl seating, outdoor concourse-connected spaces, new openings into the seating bowl, and an overhaul of each level and suites.

Did You Know?

• For the 1996–97 NBA season, the arena served as home to the Golden State Warriors while their regular home court in Oakland was under renovation.
• In 2006, 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.
• The arena hosted games 3, 4, and 6 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals in the Sharks' first appearance in franchise history.
• The Golden State Valkyries of the WNBA played their first playoff game at the SAP Center on September 17, 2025, losing 75–74 to the Minnesota Lynx in front of 18,543 fans.
• Beginning in 2026, SAP Center will be home to San Jose's team in the Professional Women's Hockey League.