SAN JOSE, Calif.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0San Francisco Bay University and the San Jose Earthquakes announced today a partnership that spotlights SFBU\u2019s innovative, accessible approach to education while bolstering hands-on career development at the Major League Soccer club.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The collaboration reinforces reach and visibility for both community-focused organizations, extending their impact\u00a0in\u00a0the Bay Area. Under the arrangement, SFBU will become the first presenting sponsor of Quakes University, the MLS club\u2019s comprehensive internship program, and will collaborate with the club on a Quakes Chalk Talk event and a designated College Night at PayPal Park.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe San Jose Earthquakes are excited to welcome San Francisco Bay University as our new official partner,\u201d said Ian Anderson, Chief Strategy Officer of the Earthquakes. \u201cSFBU places students and their higher education experience first, removing barriers to\u00a0access\u00a0college in an innovative way. This approach aligns with our commitment at the Quakes to investing in the members of our local community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
SFBU will also appear in official Earthquakes communications and branding, as well as in-stadium promotions at PayPal Park,\u00a0the club\u2019s\u00a0home venue. The university will\u00a0operate\u00a0a promotional booth at eight home matches from 2026 through 2027.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe university looks for partners who reflect our ambitions, and the Earthquakes do exactly that,\u201d SFBU President Nick\u00a0Ladany\u00a0said. \u201cTheir\u00a0high level\u00a0of performance, their investment in programs like Quakes University and their engagement with a passionate fan base throughout Northern California make this an ideal moment to stand with the Earthquakes as an official partner.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a cornerstone of this relationship, we\u2019re especially honored to help build career pathways via Quakes University,\u201d he added. \u201cSFBU and the Earthquakes share a foundational commitment to fostering lifelong success and learning.\u201d Their partnership comes at a significant moment for both organizations. SFBU this year introduced a slate of new academic offerings, including\u00a0three-year bachelor\u2019s degrees<\/a>\u00a0and the artificial-intelligence-enhanced\u00a0MBA Pro+ program<\/a>, as it expands a community footprint through resources like\u00a0Fremont Tech Week<\/a>\u00a0and organizational collaborations. The university focuses on flexibility,\u00a0innovation\u00a0and real-world outcomes to eliminate traditional barriers to higher education.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n At the same time, the Earthquakes are tied for first place on points in the MLS Western Conference and third in the overall Supporters\u2019 Shield standings, with defender Daniel Munie recently securing his first\u00a0selection\u00a0to the MLS All-Star Game. Off the field, the club emphasizes inspiration for future generations and through its Quakes Foundation supports better health for local youth, fights food insecurity and promotes unity through sport.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Partnership specifics\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Started in 2018, Quakes University exposes Earthquakes interns to varied aspects of professional sports team operations.\u00a0The program seeks participants who want careers in the sports industry and to gain sales and front-office skills.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n As the first presenting sponsor of Quakes University, SFBU will support the initiative\u2019s two annual classes of paid interns. Each class counts six members who work part-time, focusing first on ticket sales before serving the next six months in another department. The approach provides them with full experience across a professional sports\u00a0team\u00a0front office.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Among the other elements of the SFBU-Earthquakes partnership:\u00a0<\/p>\n Quakes Chalk Talk:\u00a0SFBU and the Earthquakes will cooperate on a panel discussion featuring staff members from the soccer club and networking opportunities for students and alumni.\u00a0<\/p>\n College Night:\u00a0Scheduled for Sept. 12 at PayPal Park at the Earthquakes\u2019 home match against the Houston Dynamo, this theme night will highlight Quakes University and feature an on-field coin toss spotlighting SFBU.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Radio spots:\u00a0Thirty-second promotional spots on local radio will promote SFBU academic opportunities in coordination with\u00a0Earthquakes\u00a0broadcasts.\u00a0<\/p>\n Promotional booth:\u00a0SFBU\u2019s promotional booth will\u00a0operate\u00a0at four home matches in 2026 and four more in 2027, helping introduce fans to the university and its offerings.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe enthusiasm and energy around the Earthquakes are electric,\u201d\u00a0Ladany\u00a0said. \u201cWe\u2019re grateful to the club for these joint efforts to introduce more people to our university \u2014 and all the possibilities that await them \u2014 as we contribute to the club\u2019s own work in career development.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n About San Francisco Bay University\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n San Francisco Bay University<\/a>\u00a0creates accessible learning opportunities that prepare diverse undergraduates and graduate students for lifelong personal and professional success.\u00a0Through high-quality, career-focused programs in psychology, business, computer\u00a0science\u00a0and engineering, SFBU is building an international model for higher education in service of the common good.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The SFBU campus in Fremont, Calif., captures the entrepreneurial and technology-forward spirit of Silicon Valley. By integrating\u00a0cutting-edge\u00a0technology, real-world learning\u00a0experiences\u00a0and personalized support, SFBU equips students for leadership. Its affordable tuition, range of scholarships and streamlined application process dismantle traditional barriers and welcome new generations of learners.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n As part of SFBU\u2019s holistic commitment to excellence, its\u00a0Center for Empowerment and Pedagogical Innovation<\/a>\u00a0trains faculty in best pedagogical practices while generative artificial intelligence spans the curricula. The university is a member of the\u00a0College-in-3 Exchange<\/a>\u00a0and developed\u00a0an initial trio of three-year bachelor\u2019s programs<\/a>\u00a0introduced in 2026. SFBU\u2019s AI-enhanced Master of Business Administration program, MBA Pro+, will\u00a0enroll\u00a0an inaugural cohort in September.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n SFBU students graduate with a cultivated set of\u00a0industry-aligned competencies<\/a>,\u00a0identified\u00a0and refined in collaboration with the Silicon Valley community. The student-centric core curriculum, known as the\u00a0Agility Praxis Pathway<\/a>, is the foundation for the university\u2019s redefined undergraduate teaching and learning practices. SFBU is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n About the San Jose Earthquakes\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The San Jose Earthquakes, one of Major League Soccer\u2019s original clubs, are the epicenter for soccer in Northern California, playing at the highest professional level in the United States.\u00a0The club won MLS Cups in 2001 and 2003 and took home Supporters\u2019 Shields in 2005 and 2012.\u00a0The Earthquakes are based out of PayPal Park, an 18,000-seat soccer-specific stadium that opened in 2015 and is the first cloud-enabled venue in MLS. The organization was originally founded in 1974 in the North American Soccer League, and in 2024, celebrated its 50th anniversary of positively\u00a0impacting\u00a0communities around Northern California. The Earthquakes\u2019 affiliate team, Quakes II, plays in MLS NEXT Pro, a professional soccer league in the American third division. Completing the club\u2019s pro player pathway is the Quakes Academy in the MLS NEXT youth\u00a0league, which features the Under-14 through U-18 age groups and has seen 20 graduates sign MLS First-Team contracts as Homegrown Players. The club\u2019s nonprofit arm, the Quakes Foundation, focuses on health and fitness initiatives for local underserved youth and fighting food insecurity. For more information about the Earthquakes, visit\u00a0sjearthquakes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN JOSE, Calif.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0San Francisco Bay University and the San Jose Earthquakes announced today a partnership that spotlights SFBU\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":407470,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[88,90,89],"class_list":["post-407469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-jose","tag-san-jose","tag-san-jose-headlines","tag-san-jose-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=407469"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407469\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/407470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=407469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=407469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=407469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}