2026 Major
Sports Events
Status Report
City Council
November 19, 2024
Item 8.1
Rosalynn Hughey, Deputy City Manager
Nanci Klein, Director, OEDCA
Kerry Adams-Hapner, Assistant Director, OEDCA
John Poch, Executive Director, San José Sports
Authority
1 Overview and Opportunity
• Super Bowl LX:
February 8, 2026
• NCAA Men’s Basketball West Regional Games:
March 26 to 28, 2026
• FIFA World Cup 26:
June 11 to July 19, 2026
The Opportunity:
• For residents to celebrate community and culture
• Optimize San José as an inclusive, vibrant destination for visitors • Build sports-arts-entertainment “infrastructure” for beyond 2026 2 • Office of Economic Development & Cultural
Affairs, Lead
• Office of Emergency Management
• Police
• Fire
• Airport
• Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement
• Public Works
• Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services
• Transportation
• City Attorney’s Office
• Bay Area Host Committee
• San José Sports Authority
• San José Sharks*
• San José Earthquakes*
• SAP Center
• Team San José
• San José State University*
• San José Chamber of Commerce
• San José Downtown Association
*Represented on the Bay Area Host Committee Board
and Advisory Committee
City Staff Team and Collaborating Partners
3 Super Bowl LX: February 8, 2026
• Super Bowl LX Week: February 2 - 8, 2026
• Estimated impact to Santa Clara County: $100M-$160M
• February 2nd Media Day: final stages of negotiations at SAP Center
Estimated economic impact: $760,000
• Teams will stay in San José and Santa Clara
One team will stay in San José at the Downtown
Marriott and practice at SJSU
Other team will stay in Santa Clara and practice at
Stanford University
• Hotel room nights booked: 3,700 confirmed and 400
tentative
4 Super Bowl LX: February 8, 2026
Potential activation sites leading up to the Sunday game:
• San Pedro Square
• Plaza de Cesar Chavez
• SAP Center
• Convention Center
• Civic Auditorium
• California Theatre
• Hammer Theatre
• Arena Green
• Airport (team welcome arrivals with fans)
5 NCAA Men’s Basketball West Regional Games:
March 26 - 28, 2026
• Held at SAP Center
• SJSU is local host
• Estimated economic impact: $7.1M
• Team and staff hotels: Signia by Hilton, Downtown
Marriott, Hilton, Doubletree, Hyatt Place, AC
Marriott, De Anza Hotel, Hayes Mansion by Hilton
1,080 hotel room nights booked, 300 tentative
• Downtown activations:
San Pedro Square
“Hoop It Up” event
6 FIFA World Cup 26: June 11 - July 19, 2026
• Estimate economic impact: $270M-$360M
• 16 cities will host matches; 11 are in U.S.
• Six matches at Levi’s Stadium: 6/13, 6/16, 6/19, 6/22, 6/25, 7/1 Teams will be announced in December 2025
• Teams will practice at PayPal Park and SJSU
• Signia by Hilton is FIFA headquarters
• Downtown San Jose Marriott and Hilton are team hotels • Hotel Valencia will be VIP and families’ hotel
• FIFA will secure downtown office space for 10 months, Oct 2025 to July 2026 7 FIFA World Cup 26: June 11 - July 19, 2026
Watch parties:
• San Pedro Square and other Downtown locations
• City-wide restaurants and venues – where there is interest Activations:
• Downtown outdoor dance/concert series (curated according to teams/countries represented)
• CityDance with genres connected to the teams
• Food, music, and art festivals/exhibitions in Downtown and neighborhood venues throughout City, such as Mexican Heritage Plaza
8 1. Resources
2. Policy Work
3. Cultural Programming and Event Calendar
4. Best Face Forward (Public Realm, Infrastructure and Wayfinding)
5. Marketing and Communications
6. Emergency Operations
7. Status Reports/Updates
City Staff Work Plan:
Strategic Initiatives
9 1. Resources
• New, short-term position in City Manager’s Office
2026 Sports and Special Events Director
• Coordinated State/Federal Advocacy for funding
Security costs
Potential of earmarks for specific projects, such as public realm/infrastructure
• Fundraising and sponsorships – San José Jose Sports Authority 10 • Amend Supergraphics (Sign) Ordinance
– PBCE lead, Q1 2025 completion
• Amend 2015 Special Event Zone Policy
– OEDCA lead, Q1 2025 completion
• Amend Private Property Special Event Policy (Zoning Ordinance) – OEDCA lead, Q1 2025 completion
• Create City Entertainment Zone Policy (Alcohol-related) pursuant to recent State enactment of Senate Bill 969
– OEDCA lead, Q2 2025 completion
• Static and Digital Wayfinding
– PBCE, OEDCA, DOT, PW , Q2 2025 completion
2. Policy Work
11 3. Cultural Programming and Event Calendar
• Develop model for “Fly, Stay, and Play” campaign with Visit SJ, SJC, SJDA, etc. • Foster/promote City-wide programming
Multicultural, intergenerational, family-friendly, and authentically San José content Food, music, dance, museums, public art, sports, and other attractions Curate content according to FIFA teams
• Facilitate arts and cultural programming in City-owned facilities through facility operators and program presenters
Working with art organizations such as Broadway SJ, Symphony SJ, Opera SJ and CMT • Develop list of offerings at participating City-wide public/private venues • Market events and programming to core partners to promote to destination (overnight) and regional visitor markets
12 4. “Best Face Forward”
• Develop “Fly, Stay and Play in San José” marketing and communications strategy (campaign) with Team San José, coordinated Airport Marketing Strategy
• Designate/design a virtual “landing page” to promote
• Develop City-wide street banners designed by local artist(s) promoting website
5. Marketing and Communications
• Public Realm and infrastructure improvements
• Wayfinding
13 6. Emergency Operations
• Status reports to CED Committee in spring and fall 2025 • Mayor/Council Newsletters
• Information Memoranda as needed
• City Manager Reports at City Council meetings
7. Status Reports/Updates
• Sports and Special Events Training Courses: Sept. 2024 - Aug. 2025 • Interagency coordination
• EOC Planning and Activation
• Preparation with SJPD underway
• Secure funding for security
14 2026 Major
Sports Events
Status Report
City Council
November 19, 2024
Item 8.1
Rosalynn Hughey, Deputy City Manager
Nanci Klein, Director, OEDCA
Kerry Adams-Hapner, Assistant Director, OEDCA
John Poch, Executive Director, San José Sports
Authority
15