San Jose fan events insiders’ guide
Touchdown, Bay Area! That’s what local sports fans were likely thinking when news broke that the College Football Playoff National Championship — one of the biggest sporting events in the world — was heading to Santa Clara. Now the event is right around the corner, with the top two teams in college football set to do battle at the fifth annual championship on Jan. 7 at Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium, plus a free three-day concert series in downtown San Jose and various other fan fest events.
Most of the fun will be happening in what’s being called “Championship Campus,” a section of downtown San Jose that stretches from SAP Center and Discovery Meadows to the San Jose McEnery Convention Center and Plaza de Cesar Chavez.
Here’s our guide to all the festivities, plus tips on having a blast in our neck of the woods.
AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! — The most tuneful offering of the championships will draw thousands of music lovers to Discovery Meadow Park in downtown San Jose for three nights — Jan. 4 through 6 — of live music. The organizers have lined up some big acts this year, including OneRepublic, Logic, Leon Bridges, Alessia Cara and Ellie Goulding. Did we mention that the concerts are free?
You’ll find the complete concert schedule and lineup, plus the all-important details on how to get there and where to park in our insider’s guide to AT&T Playoff Live! (And you’ll find the backstory on how these concerts came to be right here.)
Downtown San Jose restaurants — You can’t bring food into the Discovery Meadow shows — they’ll have food and drink vendors inside — but you’ll need to eat while enjoying all the other fun pregame festivities going on in downtown San Jose. Need suggestions? Here are five delicious options, from a solid walk-up taqueria churning out super burritos to a sit-down Michael Mina experience and a food hall that has everything from wood-fired pizzas to gourmet ice pops.
Playoff Fan Central — Football fans — whether they are going to the big game or not — won’t want to miss this 100,000-square-foot interactive experience. The three-day, family-friendly event runs Jan. 4-6 at San Jose McEnery Convention Center and offers games, clinics, pep rallies, band performances, guest appearances, autograph signings, exhibits and more. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door — and kids under 12 are free with a paying adult. You’ll find the official website here.
Media Day and The Quad — You know those televised interviews with athletes that always air during a big game? Come and watch the fun during the free Media Day festivities on Jan. 5 at San Jose’s SAP Center. More than 1,000 credentialed media members will be interviewing players and coaches from the two teams — and fans in attendance will be presented with small radios to listen in on some of the interviews. You’ll see live sets from ESPN and the individual conference networks, as well.
Find details on Media Day and on The Quad — a Plaza de Cesar Chavez hub with mer-
chandise, concessions, live entertainment and more Jan. 4-6 — on the official Champion Campus site.
Levi’s Stadium bites — For those lucky enough to actually score a ticket to the championship game, here’s our foodie guide (and taste-off results) for Levi’s Stadium’s newest food offerings. The new Touchdown Terrace features everything from standard stadium fare to The Chairman’s pork-belly bao, Copita’s chicken tinga and meat-free Sicilian meatballs at the venue, which is the home of the San Francisco 49ers.
The halftime show — In keeping with tradition, the actual halftime show for the national championship game at Levi’s will feature performances by the marching bands of the two competing colleges. But there will be another halftime show, as well: It features one of the biggest rock bands in the world — Imagine Dragons —performing a free show at Treasure Island.