Dear Friends:

The San Jose Sports Authority, along with our community partners and friends, are proud to share exciting news about upcoming sporting events coming to San Jose!

Today, the United States Figure Skating Association announced the selection of San Jose as host for the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.  On hand for the announcement and celebration were figure skating legends, and San Jose natives, Peggy Fleming, Rudy Galindo and Kristi Yamaguchi. 

San Jose last hosted the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1996 where hometown hero Rudy Galindo won the title.  His performance has been an unforgettable sports moment for San Jose fans, and that excitement was celebrated today as we look ahead to 2012.

In addition to today’s great announcement, San Jose has also been selected to host the following events:

2010 Amgen Tour of California

2011 USA Hockey National Championships

2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships - Announced Today!

2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship First and Second Round

Thank you to the Amgen Tour of California, USA Hockey, U.S. Figure Skating Association and the NCAA for selecting San Jose.

The Sports Authority would also like to thank our key community partners for their support, collaboration and commitment to bring these outstanding, world-class events to the Capital of Silicon Valley. Special thanks to the City of San Jose, Office of Economic Development, the San Jose Convention and Visitor's Bureau/Team San Jose, San Jose Hotels Inc., and to HP Pavilion at San Jose and Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment.

Patricia Ernstrom
Executive Director

U.S. Figure Skating announced today the selection of San Jose, Calif., as the host city for the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Jan. 22-29, 2012. 

The event, held annually since 1914, is the nation's most prestigious figure skating event, with past winners including such skating luminaries as Michelle Kwan, Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano and Scott Hamilton. National champions will be crowned in 12 events: ladies, men's, pairs and ice dancing at the senior, junior and novice levels.

Rudy Galindo speaks at today's announcement.

“We’re thrilled to bring the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships to San Jose,” U.S. Figure Skating President Patricia St. Peter said. “With the support of the figure skating fans and the community of San Jose, we are assured a successful event.”

This marks the 11th time the state of California has hosted the event, and the second time the city of San Jose has played host. The first time was in 1996, when hometown hero Rudy Galindo thrilled those in attendance with a performance still regarded as one of the greatest and most memorable in the history of the championships.

The U.S. Championships annually attract more than 1,500 figure skating athletes, coaches and officials to the host city. The event has generated $20-25 million in economic impact for recent host cities. Click here for full story.

Learn more: USFSA.org | SkateSanJose2012.com

The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee announced today that the West Coast Conference, in conjunction with the HP Pavilion at San Jose, California, was selected to host first and second-round games of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. The WCC partnered with the San Jose Sports Authority and HP Pavilion at San Jose to earn the bid.

The 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship will be an extraordinary event as it marks the 75th Anniversary of the championship.

"The West Coast Conference is proud to be selected as a host for the first and second rounds of the historic 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship," said WCC Commissioner Jamie Zaninovich. "We look forward to working with our partners at the HP Pavilion and the San Jose Sports Authority in hosting a first-class event and providing a memorable experience for the student-athletes, fans, and the Bay Area basketball community."

The WCC, which is hosting an NCAA Men's Basketball Championship event for the first time in conference history, will host the first and second rounds at the HP Pavilion on March 21-23, 2013.

"On behalf of the San Jose Sports Authority and the City of San Jose, we are thrilled to be teaming up with the West Coast Conference to welcome the NCAA back to San Jose for the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship," said San Jose Sports Authority Executive Director Patricia Ernstrom. "We are pleased that the NCAA has once again acknowledged the City of San Jose as a destination that excels at hosting this tournament."

[More from WCC] [More from NCAA]

Don't miss out on March Madness in San Jose!

A limited number of tickets for the 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Championships - First and Second Round remain. Visit Ticketmaster.com to get your tickets before they're gone!

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California will travel to 16 host cities throughout the state over the course of eight days from May 16-23. After four years of being positioned in February, the date change will allow the Tour de France-style road race to visit locations that wouldn't have been possible in February, including the very first mountain-top finish in race history.

Click to view the 2010 Route

The Amgen Tour of California will cover more than 750 miles of beautiful California terrain, beginning with the first ever visit to Nevada City, Calif., which will also be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Nevada City Classic, in which many notable riders got their start. The eight-day race will travel through some of the state's most scenic landmarks, with the overall finish taking place in title-sponsor Amgen's hometown community of Thousand Oaks.

The 16 official stage start and finish locations that have been selected for the 2010 race include: Nevada City (new city for 2010), Sacramento, Davis, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Modesto, Visalia, Bakersfield (new city for 2010), Pasadena, Big Bear Lake (new city for 2010), Los Angeles (new city for 2010) and Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village (new city for 2010)/Agoura Hills (new city for 2010).

For further information on the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, and to read the full release, visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

San Jose was recently awarded the 2011 USA Hockey National Championships for the Pee Wee Tier II Division.  The event will be played at Sharks Ice at San Jose April 6-10, 2011. 

The San Jose Jr. Sharks will serve as the host organization, and as host will be awarded a berth in the National Tournament.

Under the USA Hockey Tier II Championships format, each state will send their champion to the national tournament and compete in one of 6 classifications. Competing classes will be based on each state's USA Hockey membership size. 

Hockey fans - this will be a great opportunity to see 48 of the top 12 and under teams in the nation.

Sharks Ice at San Jose will also be hosting the 2010 Tier I Pacific Districts at the 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and 18 and under age classifications along with all of the Girls Division Pacific Districts March 18 – 21st.

For more information visit sjjrsharks.com and sharksiceatsanjose.com.

Four South Bay sports icons who made their mark in professional, college, and Olympic sports make up the 2009 Class of Inductees of the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame.

The fifteenth class, which will be inducted at the November 11 ceremony at HP Pavilion at San Jose, includes:

• Ron Calcagno: accomplished Santa Clara University athlete and legendary St. Francis High School football coach

• Sheryl Johnson: Three-time Olympian and respected Stanford University coach

• Ronnie Lott: NFL Hall of Famer, 49er football legend and community philanthropist

• Bob Murphy: Standout Stanford pitcher and renowned Stanford broadcaster

The event, presented by Hewlett-Packard, celebrates 15 years of the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame. 

The event begins with a reception followed by dinner and induction ceremony. Dinner tickets and sponsorship packages are still available.  For information and to purchase tickets (408) 288-2936, or visit sjsa.org/hall_of_fame/.

The 2009 Class brings the total number to 71 of South Bay sports figures in the Hall of Fame, which recognizes each honoree with a bronze plaque permanently installed on the concourse at HP Pavilion. The annual induction is an event of the San Jose Sports Authority, San Jose Arena Authority, HP Pavilion Management/San Jose Sharks and the City of San José. The event benefits Special Olympics Northern California and high school sports programs.

The Sports Authority thanks Competitor Group for another successful Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in San Jose and extends a hearty congratulations to Meb Keflezighi, who recently won the New York Marathon with a time of two hours, nine minutes and 15 seconds, becoming the first American man to win the race since 1982.

Meb tuned up for the NYC Marathon in San Jose, as California’s fastest half-marathon lived up to its billing on October 4 when he set a new U.S. 20k record and bettered his personal best by 25 seconds winning the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in a time of 1:01:00. Keflezighi’s 20k split of 57:52 broke Ryan Hall’s standing 20K record of 57:54 set in 2006.

A 19-time U.S. Champion, Keflezighi’s half-marathon time ranks him number three all-time on the American list for a record standard course. He sits behind only Mark Curp’s 1:00:55 from 1985 and Ryan Hall’s American record 59:43 from 2007.

“As Roger Craig said ‘I did it today’ and it’s just nice to be healthy. I’m ready for New York and look forward to continuing my marathon training,” added Keflezighi, whose pending 20k record reclaimed the title he held before Hall. “My long term goal is London 2012 and I still I have a marathon PR in me and today’s race proved that age doesn’t mean a thing.”

The women’s race was led by Belainesh Gebre of Ethiopia who crossed the line in 1:11:24. Bay Area resident Magdalena Lewy-Boulet, who made her Olympic debut for the U.S. in Beijing, finished a close second with a new personal best of 1:11:46. Her previous half-marathon best of 1:11:47 was set in 2008.

Runners from 44 states and 11 countries participated in the race, including a group of California’s fastest runners, who competed in the event’s first California Cup. Three-time Super Bowl Champion Roger Craig completed his fourth straight San Jose race in a time of 1:48:27. He was followed by soccer star Brandi Chastain running for her third straight year in 1:59:03.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon will celebrate its 5th Anniversary in San Jose on October 3, 2010. For more information, please visit san-jose.competitor.com.