San Jose SaberCats | |||||
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Current season | |||||
Established 1995 Folded 2015 Played in SAP Center in San Jose, California TheSanJoseSaberCats.com |
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League/conference affiliations | |||||
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Team colors |
Saber Gold, Coral Green, Platinum, Black, and Navajo White |
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Personnel | |||||
Owner(s) | John Fry William Randy Fry David Fry Kathryn J. Kolder Darren Arbet |
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General manager | Darren Arbet | ||||
Head coach | Darren Arbet | ||||
Team history | |||||
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Team nicknames | |||||
Cats | |||||
Championships | |||||
League championships (4) |
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Prior to 2005, the AFL did not have conference championship games | |||||
Division championships (10) |
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Playoff appearances (16) | |||||
1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 | |||||
Home arena(s) | |||||
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Arena Football League (1995–2015)
Saber Gold, Coral Green, Platinum, Black, and Navajo White
League championships (4)
Conference championships (3)
2007, 2008, 2015
Division championships (10)
The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to the AFL's National Conference. Over nineteen seasons of play, the SaberCats emerged as one of the Arena Football League's most successful franchises; at the conclusion of the 2015 season, the SaberCats boasted a lifetime regular season record of 198–98. Moreover, the SaberCats had won a total of four AFL Championships (2002, 2004, 2007, and 2015). Their lifetime postseason record stood at 19–12.
In the club's first four seasons (1995–1998), the team played just above mediocre, but still qualified for the playoffs 3 out of the four years, losing in the opening round each time under the guidance of Todd Shell. In 1999, the SaberCats appointed eventual owner-general manager Darren Arbet to the position of head coach. Under Arbet's guidance, the team's fortunes improved dramatically. In 2000, the SaberCats won a post-season game.
The SaberCats' run of success intensified in the 2000s; during that time, they won seven division titles and played in three American Conference championship games. In 2002, the team captured its first ArenaBowl championship by defeating the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVI. In 2004, the SaberCats won a second championship by defeating the Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVIII. In 2007, they defeated the Columbus Destroyers in ArenaBowl XVIII to capture a third championship. In 2008, the SaberCats returned to the ArenaBowl, only to fall to the Philadelphia Soul. In 2015, the SaberCats returned to the ArenaBowl, defeating the Jacksonville Sharks.