Local sports digest: Television concerns force San Jose SaberCats to play title game in Stockton

Television considerations prompted the Arena Football League to keep its originally scheduled date for ArenaBowl XXVIII and move the game’s location from San Jose to Stockton, according to the SaberCats.

Initially set for Saturday on the AFL’s calendar, the SaberCats tried to move the game to Monday so it could be played at the SAP Center. The SaberCats (19-1) earned the right to host the ArenaBowl, where they will face the Jacksonville Sharks (12-8) by posting the AFL’s best regular-season record.

The league, however, had an agreement with ESPN to broadcast its championship game at 4 p.m. Saturday, and ESPN was unwilling to budge. Because the SAP Center is hosting a circus through this Sunday, the SaberCats had to find an alternate location. Stockton Arena was it.

The ArenaBowl will be the second straight home playoff game the SaberCats have played in Stockton. The ‘Cats clinched their ArenaBowl berth there last Saturday with a 70-67 victory over the Arizona Rattlers.

Offensive lineman Richie Ranglin wishes the SaberCats’ fans didn’t have to travel so far for a second straight week to watch their team play for its first championship since 2007, but he understands.

“Stockton’s been good to us, though,” Ranglin said. “We’re lucky to be able to call it home — nothing against San Jose.”

College basketball

The Stanford men’s basketball team opened its six-game tour of Italy with a 75-26 rout of Stella Azzurra, an amateur team based in Rome. Sophomore guard Dorian Pickens led the Cardinal with 15 points, and freshman Josh Sharma contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Soccer

Former Stanford star Rachel Van Hollebeke, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, retired from soccer a day before her 30th birthday. Van Hollebeke (nee: Buehler) plans to attend medical school at UC San Diego in the fall. The defender had deferred admission since 2011 while playing with the U.S. national team and professionally.