SaberCats announce 2007 schedule
Published on November 29, 2006 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Nov. 29, 2006) - It's "on the road" again for the two-time ArenaBowl champion San Jose SaberCats as they open their 13th season in the Arena Football League in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 4, for a Western Division tilt with the Avengers, as the AFL announced Wednesday its 17-week, 304-game schedule.
For the fifth year in a row, the SaberCats play at least three of their first four games on the road and it is the fourth time in the last five seasons they have opened away from the friendly confines of the HP Pavilion.
Following their season opener, the SaberCats travel to defending ArenaBowl champion Chicago Rush (Mar. 9) and then to Atlanta to meet Southern Division power Georgia Force (Mar. 24). These two games are sandwiched around the team's bye week (Mar. 16-18).
The SaberCats are set to play their home opener on Saturday, March 31 when they host the Tampa Bay Storm and welcome back Barry Wagner, who spent seven seasons in a San Jose uniform before signing a free agent deal with Tampa Bay in the offseason.
Tracing back to the first five games of each season since 2002, the SaberCats have played 15 of 20 on the road. A significant number considering the team has a regular season home record of 26-6 (.812) at HP Pavilion since the franchise began playing eight home games in 2003.
"We are very accustomed to starting the season on the road," SaberCats' Head Coach and General Manager Darren Arbet said. "It's nice to play in front of your fans before hitting the road, but it is something we have dealt with well in the past. Our mindset is to play hard and get a victory no matter who we're playing or where we are."
Additional highlights to the home schedule include games with the defending National Conference champion Orlando Predators on June 1, and last season's Central Division champion Colorado Crush on April 6. The SaberCats will also host the Grand Rapids Rampage (Sat., May 19) in addition to division rivals Los Angeles (Sat., Apr. 21), Utah (Sat., Apr. 28), Las Vegas (Sat., May 12) and Arizona (Sat., June 16).
Six of San Jose's eight games at HP Pavilion are set for Saturday nights with the other two games set to be played on a Friday. All eight games have a 7:30 p.m. scheduled start time. "As our record indicates, home games are key for us," noted Arbet. "Our loyal fans are one of the most important parts in the success of this team."
The SaberCats will play in New Orleans on April 13 as the VooDoo celebrate their return to the league after a one-year hiatus following the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The VooDoo's presence in 2007 brings the number of teams competing to 19.
League officials are working diligently with television networks to negotiate a deal that will broadcast the AFL in a national spotlight. To date no official partner has been announced.
A premier franchise in the AFL, San Jose has captured two ArenaBowl titles, six Western Division championships, seven consecutive playoff appearances and owns the league's best regular season record this decade. Season and group tickets for the SaberCats 13th season in the AFL are available now by calling (408) 573-5577 or by visiting the team's official website - www.sanjosesabercats.com.
For a complete league schedule visit the AFL's official website www.arenafootball.com.
2007 SAN JOSE SABERCATS SEASON SCHEDULE
Day Date Opponent Time (PT) Sunday March 4 at Los Angeles Avengers 7:00 p.m.
Friday March 9 at Chicago Rush 5:00 p.m.
BYE WEEK
Saturday March 24 at Georgia Force 4:00 p.m.
Saturday March 31 TAMPA BAY STORM 7:30 p.m.
Friday April 6 COLORADO CRUSH 7:30 p.m.
Friday April 13 at New Orleans VooDoo 5:00 p.m.
Saturday April 21 LOS ANGELES AVENGERS 7:30 p.m.
Saturday April 28 UTAH BLAZE 7:30 p.m.
Saturday May 5 at Arizona Rattlers 7:00 p.m.
Saturday May 12 LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS 7:30 p.m.
Saturday May 19 GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE 7:30 p.m.
Friday May 25 at Nashville Kats 5:00 p.m.
Friday June 1 ORLANDO PREDATORS 7:30 p.m.
Saturday June 9 at Utah Blaze 6:00 p.m.
Saturday June 16 ARIZONA RATTLERS 7:30 p.m.
Sunday June 24 at Las Vegas Gladiators 3:00 p.m.
Game dates and times are subject to change
All Times Pacific
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