The San Jose Sharks are ready to turn the SAP Center into something more than just a home arena-they want it to become a full-blown experience. At Thursday’s State of the Sharks meeting, team president Jonathan Becher didn’t just tease upgrades-he outlined a bold vision that’s set to reshape the building over the next five to seven years.
And yes, the team is leaning all the way into the "Shark Tank" nickname.
“We want to make this a literal shark tank,” Becher told Sharks365 season ticket members, setting the tone for what’s coming. Back in August, the Sharks and the City of San Jose agreed to a $425 million funding plan to bring the SAP Center up to modern NHL standards. That money isn’t just going toward patchwork fixes-it’s about reimagining the entire fan experience.
A new website is expected to launch as early as next week, offering fans their first look at some of the approved design concepts. Becher said the site will be updated monthly over the next couple of years as more elements get the green light from the city.
One of the key themes? Oceanic immersion. Becher explained that while SAP Center was originally built as a multi-purpose venue, the goal now is to make it unmistakably the home of the Sharks-starting with the atmosphere.
“Sharks swim in the ocean, and so we’re going to take the oceanic idea and we’re going to apply it everywhere, and then some,” Becher said. “There are multiple layers to the ocean, and in different layers of the ocean, there are different kinds of sharks, and different kinds of lighting… And we’re going to use that ocean theme to reimagine this as an actual tank.”
He added with a grin, “No water.”
Beyond the aesthetics, there are practical upgrades on the way-especially when it comes to crowd flow. Becher didn’t shy away from acknowledging the current issues. When the building fills up beyond 13,000 or 14,000 fans, the concourse gets tight-uncomfortably so.
“You almost have to use your sharp elbows to get by people,” he said. “We’ve got to figure out how to take 4,000 to 5,000 people off the concourse.”
The solution? Look at how modern arenas are built.
Most new venues feature multiple concourses to distribute foot traffic more evenly. SAP Center, by contrast, is a single-concourse building.
That’s going to change.
The south entrance, which sees about 73% of fan traffic thanks to its location near Santa Clara Street, is another bottleneck. Becher said the plan includes creating additional entry points-“punching some new holes in the building,” as he put it-to ease congestion and improve access.
There’s also a push to activate more of the arena’s underutilized space. Becher highlighted the “arena level” at the bottom and the “penthouse level” at the top as areas that could be opened up for fans. Think outdoor-indoor lounges that take advantage of San Jose’s mild climate, with natural light and open-air views.
And while the upgrades will benefit all the events SAP Center hosts-concerts, shows, and more-the heart of the transformation is still Sharks hockey.
“The word we’re using is ‘revamp,’” Becher said. “Because we really are trying to say, ‘What happens if we’re not going to tear it down?’… It’s not just Sharks hockey, but the 100 other events that happen in this building.”
Still, there’s no mistaking where the soul of the building lies.
“The nickname ‘The Shark Tank’ will become real,” Becher said.
If the Sharks can pull off what they’re planning, fans won’t just be watching hockey-they’ll be stepping into the deep end.