SAP Center at San Jose opened its doors on September 7, 1993, as the San Jose Arena, giving the young San Jose Sharks franchise a permanent home just a few years after the team’s 1991 debut. Built at a cost of about $162.5 million and designed by Denver-based architects Sink Combs Dethlefs, the arena has since gone through several corporate names, including Compaq Center and HP Pavilion, before German software company SAP secured naming rights in 2013.
Known affectionately by fans and players as “the Shark Tank,” the arena has earned a reputation as one of the loudest buildings in the NHL, thanks to a relatively low ceiling that traps crowd noise over the ice. Beyond hockey, the venue hosted the Golden State Warriors for the 1996-97 NBA season and three games of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, and the city and Sharks ownership approved a major renovation deal in 2025 to keep the team downtown through 2051.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): San Jose Sharks (NHL, 1993-present)
- Location: San Jose, California
- Opened: September 7, 1993
- Capacity (hockey): About 17,435
- Capacity (concerts): About 19,190
- Nickname: The Shark Tank
- Notable Fact: Hosted Games 3, 4 & 6 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final
The Ride Experience
Fans entering the Shark Tank pass beneath a giant shark head sculpture that roars and shoots fog whenever the Sharks score, a signature piece of arena theater that’s become one of the most recognizable traditions in the NHL. The lower bowl sits close to the ice, and the compact seating bowl design amplifies crowd noise, giving SAP Center its reputation as one of the league’s rowdiest road environments for visiting teams.
The venue has adapted well beyond hockey, hosting concerts, arena football with the San Jose SaberCats, AHL games with the San Jose Barracuda, and will welcome PWHL San Jose starting in the 2026-27 season. In 2006, the arena sold more tickets to non-sporting events than any other venue in the western United States, underscoring its role as a year-round entertainment hub for the South Bay.
History & Renovation
Groundbreaking for the arena took place in June 1990, and the building opened three years later as the San Jose Arena. Naming rights changed hands several times over the decades, from Compaq to HP to SAP, which extended its sponsorship agreement through 2028. In 2025, San Jose’s city council approved a $325 million public investment, matched by $100 million from Sharks owner Hasso Plattner, to modernize the 32-year-old building and extend the team’s lease through June 2051, with planning for a potential future replacement arena to begin by 2027.
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SAP Center FAQs
Why is SAP Center called the Shark Tank?
The nickname comes from its primary tenant, the San Jose Sharks, and the arena’s reputation for trapping crowd noise thanks to its low ceiling, making it one of the loudest venues in the NHL.
What was SAP Center called before?
The arena opened in 1993 as the San Jose Arena and was later known as Compaq Center and HP Pavilion before SAP acquired the naming rights in 2013.
How many people does SAP Center hold?
SAP Center holds about 17,435 fans for hockey and up to roughly 19,190 for concerts, depending on the configuration.
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Photo: Travis Wise from Bay Area, California, United States / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.