The owners of the National Hockey League’s San Jose Sharks have entered into a long-term agreement to become the operator of MLS’s San Jose Earthquakes. .Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), the Sharks business operations and marketing arm, entered into a multiyear agreement with an option to become an investor-operator in the single-entity professional soccer league. “Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment brings tremendous expertise in managing first-class sports entities to Major League Soccer,” said Commissioner Garber. “The addition of this organization will enhance the progress we have made in San Jose during our first five seasons.” San Jose will host the 2001 MLS All-Star Game on Saturday, July 28 at 3:30 pm ET. The midseason showcase will be the second marquee MLS event at Spartan Stadium. The league’s inaugural game was held in San Jose on April 6, 1996. The Earthquakes and Sharks organizations are familiar with each other as SVS&E acted as the official sponsorship sales agent of the Earthquakes during the 2000 MLS season. The Earthquakes were operated by the Kraft Sports Group since 1999. San Jose was one of three league-run teams when MLS launched in 1996. A much-publicized deal to sell the then-Clash to a group headed by Alan Rothenberg fell through at the last minute in late 1998. Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment manages all business operations of the various sports and entertainment properties owned or managed by the Sharks organization, including San Jose Arena (soon to be renamed Compaq Center at San Jose), the Sybase Open Presented by Pacific Bell ATP tennis tournament, the Ice Centre of San Jose and The Siebel Classic in Silicon Valley SENIOR PGA TOUR event. The Earthquakes are the latest addition to this growing sports entity. “We feel it is another positive step for San Jose to strengthen the Earthquakes organization and help re-establish Major League Soccer’s foothold in the Bay Area,” said Greg Jamison, president and chief operating officer of the San Jose Sharks and San Jose Arena Management. “We recognize the upside in soccer in the U.S. at a professional level and are willing to have our organization get involved and take it to a higher platform.” “The SVS&E group knows that MLS is working hard to sell soccer in the U.S. and Spartan Stadium is a great place to watch a soccer game,” added Jamison. “We embrace the challenge of making the Earthquakes viable for this season and many more to come.”