The “San Francisco Bay Area Stadium” in Santa Clara, aka Levi’s Stadium, will host six World Cup matches in 2026.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2026
Contact: [email protected]
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — Representing freelance journalist Lance Williams, the First Amendment Coalition today filed a lawsuit against San Jose State University (SJSU) for refusing to release the nondisclosure agreement signed by its president, Cynthia Teniente-Matson, to serve on the Advisory Board of the Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Games. SJSU is also withholding records regarding the revenue and community impact of the Games, among other documents.
In April 2025, to further his reporting on how the BAHC courted the World Cup games to be held in the San Francisco Bay Area, Williams made public records act requests to multiple state and local agencies for BAHC communications with agency officials. While SJSU released some records, it withheld Teniente-Matson’s nondisclosure agreement and additional documents that would inform his reporting about the anticipated economic impact of the 2026 World Cup games on the region.
“The BAHC estimated a $1.4 billion economic impact from the World Cup, Super Bowl, and NBA All-Star Game — but that number demands scrutiny,” said Williams. “While public officials spend taxpayer dollars chasing marquee sporting events, everyday Californians are being crushed by soaring gas, grocery, health, and housing costs. The public has the right to know exactly how the BAHC’s efforts are really affecting the state and its residents.”
The lawsuit contends that the California Public Records Act requires disclosure of the records Williams seeks, and that no legitimate exemption applies to nondisclosure agreements.
“The public has the right to know whether and how public officials are working with outside organizations on matters that relate to public business,” said FAC Senior Staff Attorney Aaron Field. “And, they cannot use nondisclosure agreements to hide their communications with outsiders.”
The lawsuit, filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court, asks the court to order SJSU to immediately release the nondisclosure agreement and other outstanding requested records