Sharks Facing Tough Situation With City

The San Jose Sharks may move on from SAP Center soon, but don't expect them to leave Northern California.

The San Jose Sharks remain committed to the Bay Area despite arena concerns. / Darren Yamashita - USA TODAY Sports

The San Jose Sharks have called SAP Center home for more than 30 years now, but how long that holds true remains to be seen.

On July 1, 2025, the Sharks' arena management agreement with the city of San Jose changes "unfavorably" for the team, according to Sharks Sports and Entertainment president Jonathan Becher. According to San Jose Spotlight, that means that city officials will be able to raise the team's rent as part of an annual renewal.

Sharks fans need not worry yet, as team officials remain very optimistic that SAP Center is indeed the long-term home.

“We're in very regular conversations with the city. We've had a fantastic relationship. A lot of Bay Area sports teams have not had very good relationships with their cities. We are not one of them,” Becher said on the San Jose Hockey Now podcast. “Conversations are going well. If you ask me this today, July 11, 2024, I don't see much probability that we end up on [Jul. 1, 2025] in an unfavorable situation.”

Even if the team and city can't come to a revised agreement, the Bay Area will remain the Sharks' long-term home. San Jose will obviously be the team's first choice, but options in San Francisco or Oakland could be in consideration if push comes to shove.

"Hasso (Plattner, Sharks owner) has been very clear. He’s a Bay Area guy. He wants to stay in San Jose,” Becher said. “And if for some reason, this site doesn’t work out, we would look at other places in San Jose first, and then, the rest of the Bay Area.”

The Sharks are firmly in rebuild mode, as they've now missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons. Now, though, the future looks very bright with 2024 No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini and 2023 No. 4 pick Will Smith set to make their NHL debuts this season.

Hopefully, the Sharks will be able to stay in SAP Center so longtime fans can witness this resurgance.

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