San Jose has tapped former Olympian Tommy O’Hare as its new sports and special events director with marquee attractions like Super Bowl LX, FIFA World Cup and NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games coming to the South Bay in 2026.
O’Hare, who skated on the U.S. short-track relay team in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and most recently served as the general manager of ClipperVision — the direct-to-consumer streaming platform for the L.A. Clippers — was selected to oversee the coordination of activities around the major events as officials look to maximize on the opportunity to showcase San Jose and infuse a trove of cash into the local economy.
“I’m thrilled to join the team at the City of San José and be part of making all the amazing events coming to the City a success and help create a lasting positive legacy for the community,” O’Hare said in a prepared statement.
City Manager Jennifer Maguire, who made the selection, lauded O’Hare’s accomplishments.
“Tommy has both personal — as an Olympian — and professional experience in the world of sports and special events,” Maguire said. “I am certain that he will create lasting civic pride and economic impact as we welcome people from all over the world to fly into San José Mineta International Airport — next door to PayPal Park and just 10 minutes away from the Levi’s Stadium — stay and play in our vibrant and diverse city.”
Levi’s Stadium will host Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026, and six World Cup matches between June 13 and July 1 next year.
City officials estimate the NFL’s flagship event could create between $100 million and $160 million in economic impact over the week, while the World Cup could provide a boost between $270 million and $360 million over the six weeks of soccer’s premier tournament.
San Jose’s SAP Center will also host NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional games between March 26-28, bringing in another $7.1 million locally.
With the prospect of major sporting events driving hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity, San Jose allocated $350,000 in its budget this year for the 12-month position — touted by Mayor Matt Mahan as one of, if not the most significant investments for 2026 — to capitalize on the moment, including boosting the city’s visibility.
Santa Clara County is no stranger to major events, having hosted Super Bowl 50 in 2016. But despite the game occurring at Levi’s Stadium, 57% of the revenues generated benefitted San Francisco while only 12.3% went to San Jose, according to a study by Sportsimpacts, prompting local officials to vow that 2026 would be different.
Along with hosting the events, local officials have eyed a more robust program for activities around the attractions, such as block parties, outdoor dance, and concert series. San Jose had a glimpse of how these events livened up downtown last year when Levi’s Stadium hosted Copa America games.
The city is also developing a “Fly, Stay and Play” campaign in hopes of drawing more tourists to travel through San Jose Mineta International Airport.
While San Jose does not have a large enough facility required to host the fan festival during Super Bowl week, local officials have made a push to host media day at the SAP Center, which would allow the South Bay to bookend Super Bowl week with events.
Despite the struggles of the hospitality market, multiple hotels downtown will serve as team hotels for the events and have already received thousands of reservations. FIFA will also lease office space in downtown San Jose.
“We’re gearing up for 2026 and we’re fortunate to have Tommy O’Hare joining the team as we plan an unforgettable experience for visitors and residents alike,” Mahan said. “Working with partners like the Sports Authority and TeamSJ, Tommy will help ensure that these large events lay the groundwork for growing San José’s sports and entertainment economy into the future.”
The city told The Mercury News that 75 candidates with backgrounds in the media, arts, sports and entertainment backgrounds had applied for the position.
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Along with his Olympic experience, O’Hare won bronze and silver medals in the short-track relay at the Winter Universiade. In addition to his tenure with L.A. Clippers, O’Hare’s professional experience includes time as the associate director of strategic planning for the U.S. Olympic Committee, sports content partnerships manager at Google and as head of digital strategy for the International Olympic Committee.
O’Hare will start the position on Feb. 3.
