Sports in San Diego includes major professional league teams, other highest-level professional league teams, minor league teams, and college athletics. San Diego hosts two teams of the major professional leagues, the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB) and San Diego FC of Major League Soccer (MLS).[1] The city is home to several universities whose teams compete in various NCAA Division I sports, most notably the San Diego State Aztecs. The Farmers Insurance Open, a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, is played annually at Torrey Pines Golf Course.
San Diego hosted the National Football League (NFL)'s San Diego Chargers from 1961 to 2017, when the team relocated to the Greater Los Angeles area (now the Los Angeles Chargers). The city also hosted the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s San Diego Rockets from 1967 to 1971 (now the Houston Rockets) and San Diego Clippers from 1978 to 1984 (now the Los Angeles Clippers). San Diego has never hosted a National Hockey League (NHL) franchise, though it hosted the San Diego Mariners of the now-defunct World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1974 to 1977.
Currently, there is no NFL, NBA, or NHL team in the city. San Diego is the largest American city not to have won a championship in a "Big Four"[a] major professional league. The city does have one major league title to its name: the 1963 American Football League (AFL) Championship won by the San Diego Chargers, when the AFL was an independent entity prior to the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. Due to its lackluster record on winning professional championships, and in some cases retaining professional teams, some San Diego sports fans believe there is a curse on professional sports in the city.[2]
Teams
editMajor league teams
editThe following teams compete in a major professional league.
| Club | League | Sport | Home venue | Since[b] | Attendance[c] | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Padres | MLB | Baseball | Petco Park | 1936[d]; 1969 | 41,117 (2024)[3] | |
| San Diego FC | MLS | Soccer | Snapdragon Stadium | 2025[4] |
Professional teams
editThe following teams compete in a highest-level professional league.
| Club | League | Sport | Home venue | Since[e] | Attendance[f] | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Wave FC | NWSL | Soccer (women's) | Snapdragon Stadium | 2022 | 19,575 (2024)[5] | |
| San Diego Legion | MLR | Rugby | Torero Stadium | 2018 | 12,085 (2024)[6] | |
| San Diego Seals | NLL | Box lacrosse | Pechanga Arena | 2018 | 4,667 (2024)[7] | |
| San Diego Mojo | PVF | Volleyball (women's) | Viejas Arena | 2024 | 3,134 (2024) | |
| San Diego Strike Force | IFL | Indoor football | Frontwave Arena | 2019[g] | 1,930 (2023)[8] | |
| San Diego Sockers | MASL | Indoor soccer | Frontwave Arena | 1978;[h] 2009 | 1,732 (2023–24)[9] | 16[i] |
| California Redwoods | PLL | Field lacrosse | Torero Stadium | 2024[j] | ||
| San Diego Wild | NVA | Volleyball | varies | 2023 | ||
| San Diego Growlers | UFA | Ultimate | Mission Bay High School | 2015 | ||
| San Diego Super Bloom | WUL | Ultimate (women's) | Kearny High School | 2022 |
Minor league teams
editThe following teams compete in a minor league.
| Club | League | Sport | Home venue | Since[k] | Attendance[l] | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Gulls | AHL | Ice hockey | Pechanga Arena | 1966;[m] 2015[n] | 7,249 (2023–24)[10] | |
| San Diego Clippers | NBA G League | Basketball | Frontwave Arena | 2024[11] | ||
| San Diego Surf Riders | MiLC | Cricket | Canyonside Park | 2021 |
College teams
edit| Club | University | League | Primary conference | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego State Aztecs | San Diego State University | NCAA Division I (FBS) | Mountain West Conference | 35,723[12] (2022) |
| San Diego Toreros | University of San Diego | NCAA Division I (FCS) | West Coast Conference | 8,815[13] (2022) |
| UC San Diego Tritons | University of California, San Diego | NCAA Division I | Big West Conference | 42,968[14] (2022) |
| Cal State San Marcos Cougars | California State University, San Marcos | NCAA Division II | California Collegiate Athletic Association | 14,311[15] (2022) |
| Point Loma Sea Lions | Point Loma Nazarene University | NCAA Division II | Pacific West Conference | 3,179[16] (2021) |
Venues
editThe following venues host professional and/or NCAA Division I teams and have a minimum capacity of 5000.
| Venue | Opened | Capacity | League(s) | Current team(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petco Park | 2004 | 39,860 | MLB | San Diego Padres |
| Snapdragon Stadium | 2022 | 35,000 | NCAA Division I (FBS) | San Diego State Aztecs football |
| MLS | San Diego FC | |||
| NWSL | San Diego Wave FC | |||
| Pechanga Arena | 1966 | 16,100[o] | AHL | San Diego Gulls |
| NLL | San Diego Seals | |||
| Viejas Arena | 1997 | 12,414 | NCAA Division I | San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball, women's basketball |
| PVF | San Diego Mojo | |||
| Frontwave Arena | 2024 | 7,500 | NBA G League | San Diego Clippers |
| MASL | San Diego Sockers | |||
| IFL | San Diego Strike Force | |||
| Torero Stadium | 1961 | 6,000 | NCAA Division I (FCS) | San Diego Toreros football, men's soccer, women's soccer |
| MLR | San Diego Legion | |||
| PLL | California Redwoods | |||
| Jenny Craig Pavilion | 2000 | 5,100 | NCAA Division I | San Diego Toreros men's basketball, women's basketball, women's volleyball |
| LionTree Arena | 1995 | 5,000 | NCAA Division I | UC San Diego Tritons men's basketball, women's basketball, men's fencing, women's fencing, men's volleyball, women's volleyball |
Events
editAnnual events
edit| Event | League | Sport | Venue | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmers Insurance Open | PGA Tour | Golf | Torrey Pines Golf Course | 1952 |
| Holiday Bowl | NCAA Division I (FBS) | Football | Snapdragon Stadium | 1978 |
| Rady Children's Invitational | NCAA Division I | Basketball | LionTree Arena | 2023 |
| San Diego Open | WTA Tour | Tennis | Barnes Tennis Center | 1984 |
| San Diego Bayfair Cup | H1 Unlimited | Hydroplane racing | Mission Bay | 1964 |
| Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon | Rock 'n' Roll Running Series | Running | San Diego | 1998 |
Historic events
editSports
editBaseball
editThe San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB) play at Petco Park, the team's home since it opened in 2004 in downtown San Diego's East Village. Prior to the opening of Petco Park in 2004, the Padres played their home games at San Diego Stadium in Mission Valley.
The Padres joined MLB in 1969 as an expansion team. The team originated as a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team in the Pacific Coast League (PCL), where they played from 1936 through 1968 before joining Major League Baseball. As a PCL team, the Padres were based at Lane Field (now the site of the InterContinental Hotel San Diego) in downtown's Columbia neighborhood from 1936 through 1957, and Westgate Park in Mission Valley (now the site of Fashion Valley Mall) from 1958 through 1967. Their final season as a minor league team, 1968, was also their first at San Diego Stadium.
San Diego has hosted the MLB All-Star Game three times: 1978 and 1992 at San Diego Stadium, and 2016 at Petco Park. The 2016 edition was the final All-Star game to determine home field advantage in the World Series.
Petco Park has hosted the World Baseball Classic three times: 2006, the inaugural tournament (for which San Diego hosted the championship), 2009, and 2017.
Additionally popular are the local college baseball teams, particularly NCAA Division I's San Diego State Aztecs, San Diego Toreros, and UC San Diego Tritons. The Aztecs, Toreros, and Tritons play home games at their own on-campus venues, Tony Gwynn Stadium, Fowler Park, and Triton Ballpark, respectively.
MLB All-Star Games
| Date | All-Star Game | Winner | Runs | Loser | Runs | Attendance | Venue | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 11, 1978 | 1978 (49th) | National League (NL) | 7 | American League (AL) | 3 | 51,549 | San Diego Stadium | San Diego Padres |
| July 14, 1992 | 1992 (63rd) | American League (AL) | 13 | National League (NL) | 6 | 59,372 | Jack Murphy Stadium | San Diego Padres |
| July 12, 2016 | 2016 (87th) | American League (AL) | 4 | National League (NL) | 2 | 42,386 | Petco Park | San Diego Padres |
Football
editThe most popular American football team in San Diego currently is the San Diego State Aztecs football team of NCAA Division I (FBS). The Aztecs moved into their new Snapdragon Stadium upon its completion in August 2022. The San Diego Toreros football team of NCAA Division I FCS also has a local following. The Toreros are based at their on-campus stadium, Torero Stadium.
San Diego is also home to the San Diego Strike Force of the Indoor Football League (IFL), the highest level of professional Indoor American football. The Strike Force began play in 2019.
The city does not currently host a National Football League (NFL) team, though it previously hosted the San Diego Chargers, who were based in San Diego from 1961 through the 2016 season. The Chargers began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL), and spent its first season in Los Angeles where it struggled to garner a following before moving to San Diego in 1961.[17] The Chargers joined the NFL as result of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970, and played their home games initially at Balboa Stadium, then at San Diego Stadium from 1967 until relocating to Los Angeles in 2017. The team moved to Los Angeles following a request by owner Dean Spanos to relocate the team to SoFi Stadium, a new stadium constructed by Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke, where the Chargers would be a tenant and share the new stadium with the Rams. They are now known as the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers' relocation left San Diego without a professional football team for the first time since 1961.[18]
San Diego hosted the Super Bowl three times at San Diego Stadium during the Chargers' tenure in the city. The city does have one major league title to its name: the 1963 American Football League (AFL) Championship won by the former San Diego Chargers, when the AFL was an independent entity prior to the AFL–NFL merger in 1970.
On May 29, 2018, the Alliance of American Football (AAF) announced they would start a franchise in San Diego, the San Diego Fleet. The team played their home games at SDCCU Stadium, while San Diego native and former St. Louis Rams head coach Mike Martz was the head coach. The league suspended operations before it could complete its inaugural season.
Super Bowls (NFL)
| Date | Super Bowl | NFC Champion | Points | AFC Champion | Points | Attendance | Venue | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 31, 1988 | XXII | Washington Redskins | 42 | Denver Broncos | 10 | 73,302 | Jack Murphy Stadium | San Diego Chargers |
| January 25, 1998 | XXXII | Green Bay Packers | 24 | Denver Broncos | 31 | 68,912 | Qualcomm Stadium | San Diego Chargers |
| January 26, 2003 | XXXVII | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 48 | Oakland Raiders | 21 | 67,603 | Qualcomm Stadium | San Diego Chargers |
Basketball
editThe most popular basketball team in San Diego currently is the San Diego State Aztecs of NCAA Division I, who play at their on-campus Viejas Arena. The San Diego Toreros and UC San Diego Tritons, also play within NCAA Division I. The Toreros and Tritons teams play home games at their own on-campus arenas, the Jenny Craig Pavilion and LionTree Arena, respectively.
San Diego has no current professional basketball representation, but the city has a significant history hosting professional basketball, nearly all encompassed within an 18-year period from 1967 to 1984.
The San Diego Rockets, a National Basketball Association (NBA) expansion team, played from 1967 to 1971. The franchise was founded and owned by local sports booster Robert Breitbard, who also founded and owned the original San Diego Gulls hockey franchise of the Western Hockey League and developed the San Diego Sports Arena (initially known as the San Diego International Sports Center), where the Rockets played. In 1971, the Rockets were sold and relocated to Houston after Breitbard encountered financial distress due to tax-assessment issues surrounding the sports arena, which ultimately prevented sale of the team to another local owner. The tax issues also led to Breitbard relinquishing control of the arena to Canadian millionaire Peter Graham, whose alleged mismanagement of the arena hampered future sports tenants. The franchise is now known as the Houston Rockets.
The 1971 NBA All-Star Game was held at the San Diego Sports Arena, hosted by the Rockets just months prior to the team's sale and relocation.
During the 1971–72 NBA season, San Diego was the part-time home of the Golden State Warriors for six home games (one each month of the season). The Warriors notably changed their name from "San Francisco" to "Golden State" prior to the season as the team was searching for a new home arena and looked to make a play for the San Diego market (as well as Oakland) following the departure of the Rockets to Houston. The team ultimately stayed in the San Francisco Bay Area, settling full time in Oakland at Oakland Arena the following season.
From 1972 to 1975, San Diego was home to the San Diego Conquistadors of the American Basketball Association (ABA), the league's first (and ultimately only) expansion team. Known as the Conquistadors (a.k.a. "The Q's") for its first three seasons, the team name was changed to the San Diego Sails following a change in ownership for the 1975–76 season. The franchise was folded 11 games into that season after ownership learned that the team was to be shut out of the upcoming ABA–NBA merger, reportedly at the insistence of then-Los Angeles Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke. Cooke was upset that the San Diego franchise had signed former Lakers star Wilt Chamberlain away from his franchise two years prior (Lakers ownership successfully sued Chamberlain over the contract, ultimately preventing Chamberlain from playing with the Conquistadors, relegating him to coaching duties) and also expressed unwillingness of allowing another team in Southern California.[19] The Conquistadors/Sails played at Peterson Gymnasium for the 1972–73 season and Golden Hall for the 1973–74 season before ownership was permitted to base the team at the San Diego Sports Arena, where it played the remainder of its games.
Professional basketball returned from 1978 to 1984, in the form of the NBA's San Diego Clippers, the relocated successor to the Buffalo Braves franchise. The team was based at the San Diego Sports Arena. In 1981, the Clippers were bought by Los Angeles-area real estate developer Donald Sterling. Sterling attempted to move the team the following year in 1982 to his home of Los Angeles, but his request was denied by the NBA, which investigated Sterling's alleged widespread mismanagement of the franchise the same year. The investigation report recommended the termination of Sterling's ownership of the Clippers on the basis that he had failed to pay creditors and players on time. Days before a scheduled vote to terminate his ownership, he announced he would sell the team, prompting the league to cancel the scheduled vote. Sterling ultimately remained owner, satisfying league officials by instead relinquishing operational duties of the franchise. In 1984, Sterling again applied to relocate the team to Los Angeles, and despite again being denied permission to do so from the NBA, moved the team to Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. Lawsuits followed, but Sterling ultimately prevailed and was able to keep the team in Los Angeles, also in part due to his close personal friendship with then-Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who welcomed sharing the Los Angeles market with Sterling's franchise.[20] The franchise is now known as the Los Angeles Clippers. San Diego has not hosted major professional basketball since.
On March 11, 2024, it was announced that the NBA G League minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Ontario Clippers, would be relocating to the San Diego area city of Oceanside's newly constructed Frontwave Arena ahead of the 2024–25 season and rebranding as the San Diego Clippers, using its NBA affiliate's former identity from 1978 to 1984.[21]
NBA All-Star Game
| Date | All-Star Game | Winner | Points | Loser | Points | Attendance | Venue | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 12, 1971 | 1971 (21st) | Western Conference | 108 | Eastern Conference | 107 | 14,378 | San Diego Sports Arena | San Diego Rockets |
Ice hockey
editSan Diego has never hosted a National Hockey League (NHL) team, though the city is represented by the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League, the highest level of minor league ice hockey. The current version of the Gulls, which began play in 2015 after relocating from Norfolk, Virginia, plays at Pechanga Arena and following a long lineage of professional ice hockey teams which have used the San Diego Gulls name. The original San Diego Gulls, which played from 1966 until 1974, were the first tenants at the San Diego Sports Arena.
San Diego's history of minor league ice hockey teams began with the San Diego Skyhawks of the Pacific Coast Hockey League, who played from 1948 to 1950, hosting home games at Glacier Gardens. A second iteration of the Skyhawks played in the California Hockey League (1957–1963) from 1960 to 1962, also at Glacier Gardens. Hockey returned in 1966 with the original San Diego Gulls of the Western Hockey League, which were created by Robert Breitbard to have a tenant for his upcoming arena, the San Diego Sports Arena.[22] The Gulls soon grew a fanbase in San Diego, with averages of over 9,000 spectators. By 1971, the year Breitbard's National Basketball Association franchise relocated to Texas to become the Houston Rockets, the Gulls had attendances larger than both the Rockets and the Californian National Hockey League (NHL) teams, the Los Angeles Kings and Oakland Seals.[23]
The Gulls ceased operations in 1974 to give way for the relocated San Diego Mariners of the upstart World Hockey Association (WHA), which at the time was the NHL's rival league. The Mariners relocated to San Diego after spending their first two seasons of operation in New York City and New Jersey. The WHA's financial instability caused the Mariners to fold upon the failed NHL-WHA merger of 1977. Two years later, the successful NHL-WHA merger of 1979 occurred, with four WHA franchises being accepted into the NHL. The Mariners were one of several teams to fold in 1977 after the NHL indicated it planned to only take four teams instead of six in absorbing the WHA.
Another Mariners team was one of the charter teams of the short-lived Pacific Hockey League that began play the same year the previous Mariners team folded, being renamed Hawks in the following and last PHL season. The arena remained without hockey until 1990, when another San Diego Gulls team was founded in the International Hockey League (1990–95). After the IHL team moved to Los Angeles, another Gulls team played for over a decade in both the West Coast Hockey League (1995–03) and ECHL (2003–06). The current San Diego Gulls, of the American Hockey League, started playing in 2015, and are the top minor league affiliate of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks.[22]
San Diego was involved when the NHL expanded in the early 1990s from 22 teams to 26. Following the December 1989 announcement by the NHL of its intent to expand the league, 11 bids from 10 cities (two from San Diego) were submitted for an NHL expansion franchise.[24] The two separate bids for a San Diego franchise included one by local entrepreneurs Harry Cooper and Richard Esquinas (lease-holders of the San Diego Sports Arena), and one by Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss. Neither bid advanced with any serious traction. Cooper and Esquinas's bid relied on a future new arena that their group would plan to build, but only if they were awarded an expansion team first. Buss's bid meanwhile quickly shifted focus to Anaheim instead. Cooper and Esquinas's bid ultimately gave way to a new proposal by local developer Ron Hahn, who made a similar commitment to build a new arena, but only if an NHL or NBA franchise was secured first.[25] In 1993, the NHL awarded a team to The Walt Disney Company in Anaheim, to be known as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (now Anaheim Ducks). In contrast to the efforts in San Diego, Anaheim chose to build a new arena without commitments from any franchise, and were subsequently awarded a team.[26]
At the college level, there are currently ice hockey teams at the club level of each of the major universities and in the area, though NCAA ice hockey has no presence west of Colorado (excluding Alaska) with Arizona State Sun Devils men's ice hockey, which began play in 2015 and competes as an NCAA Division I independent, being the only exception.
San Diego has previously hosted an NCAA Division I ice hockey program, the United States International Gulls men's ice hockey team of United States International University (USIU), which competed for nine years from 1979 until 1988. The USIU Gulls had some success on the ice and were notable for producing two future NHL players and being the only NCAA hockey team west of the Rockies when founded. The team co-founded the short-lived Great West Hockey Conference (GWHC) with Alaska–Anchorage, Alaska–Fairbanks and Northern Arizona in 1985. USIU folded its hockey team and subsequently the entire varsity sports program due to financial strain and ultimate bankruptcy. In 2001, the university underwent a merger with the California School of Professional Psychology and reorganization, to form Alliant International University. Alliant had a small sports program for a few years before intercollegiate sports were phased out entirely in 2007.
On September 29, 2023, San Diego hosted an exhibition matchup at Pechanga Arena between the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, the first NHL hockey game played in San Diego since a previous exhibition game in 1994. The Kings won the game 4–3 in front of 11,044 fans.[27]
Soccer
editSan Diego FC is a Major League Soccer (MLS) team that will begin play in 2025. San Diego is also currently represented in the lower divisions of the United States soccer league system by Albion San Diego SC of the National Independent Soccer Association (one of three leagues occupying the second-highest level of minor league soccer). Despite not hosting an MLS team at the time, San Diego did host the 1999 MLS All-Star Game at Qualcomm Stadium.
In 2022, the city became the home to San Diego Wave FC, a new expansion team of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), slated to play its home games at Torero Stadium before moving to its permanent home of Snapdragon Stadium upon the venue's completion in September 2022.[28] Wave FC's first home game at Snapdragon Stadium, against regional rival and fellow 2022 NWSL entry Angel City FC, drew a league-record sellout crowd of 32,000.
On May 18, 2023, MLS announced that it would expand to San Diego, adding the city as the league's 30th team.[1] The team, named San Diego FC, is set to begin play in 2025 at Snapdragon Stadium with an ownership group headlined by Egyptian businessman Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.
The city also hosts the San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL), the highest level of professional indoor soccer. The current version of the Sockers follows a lineage of other professional soccer teams which have used the San Diego Sockers name.
The original North American Soccer League (NASL) included a San Diego franchise known as the original San Diego Sockers. The original Sockers indoor franchise also played in the NASL indoor league, Major Indoor Soccer League, Continental Indoor Soccer League, World Indoor Soccer League and second Major Indoor Soccer League.
At the collegiate level, the city boasts both men's and women's varsity teams at each of the three NCAA Division I schools in the city. The San Diego State Aztecs men's and women's soccer teams play at the on-campus SDSU Sports Deck, the San Diego Toreros men's and women's teams play at Torero Stadium, and the UC San Diego Tritons men's and women's teams play at Triton Soccer Stadium.
With the expansion of the minor professional league National Premier Soccer League, the San Diego Flash saw the addition of the North County Battalion and Albion SC Pros. The San Diego SeaLions play in the Women's Premier Soccer League, and the San Diego Zest play in the USL Premier Development League with the SoCal Surf. San Diego Internacional FC began playing in the UPSL in 2019.[29]
On June 25, 2017, it was announced that San Diego 1904 FC would join the North American Soccer League in 2018. The club's founders include professional soccer players Demba Ba, Eden Hazard, Yohan Cabaye and Moussa Sow.[30][31] In 2021 the club was purchased and became Albion San Diego SC.
On June 19, 2019, it was announced that Landon Donovan would be bringing a new USL Championship team to San Diego. The club, San Diego Loyal SC, began play during the 2020 USL Championship season.[32] However, the team folded in October 2023.
Golf
editThe PGA Tour's annual Farmers Insurance Open (originally the San Diego Open and later the Buick Invitational) golf tournament occurs at Torrey Pines Golf Course, which has hosted the tournament since 1968. The event was founded in 1952 at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista.[33] The tournament was founded in 1952 and was played at a variety of venues in the San Diego area in its early years, beginning with San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista for its first two years. The tournament was also played in Rancho Santa Fe and El Cajon, as well as locally in Mission Valley and Rancho Bernardo during these years. The course was the site of the 2008 and 2021 U.S. Open.
The LPGA Tour's JTBC Classic is held annually at the Aviara Golf Club in nearby Carlsbad, which has hosted the event since 2012 after the event's relocation from Los Angeles County.
At the college level, the city is home to the NCAA Division I San Diego State Aztecs men's and women's golf teams, San Diego Toreros men's golf team, and the UC San Diego Tritons men's and women's teams.
The San Diego region is home to 72 golf courses in total.[34]
Lacrosse
editOn August 30, 2017, the National Lacrosse League (NLL), the world's top box lacrosse league, awarded an expansion franchise to the city of San Diego and owner Joseph Tsai. On October 24, the NLL and San Diego owners unveiled the San Diego Seals identity. Also revealed were the colors, purple, gold, gray, and black, and the team logo. The team began play in December 2018 at Pechanga Arena and earned the second overall playoff seed in the West Division after a successful 10–8 regular season. Home game attendance during the inaugural season averaged 7,769 fans per contest.
In 2024, the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), the highest level professional field lacrosse league, transitioned to having teams based in home markets after playing its first five seasons with all nomadic teams in a touring-only model. The California Redwoods, a charter member of the league which played its first five seasons known as Redwoods Lacrosse Club, were announced to be making San Diego their home in 2024.
San Diego hosted the 2023 World Lacrosse Championship.[35] The newly constructed Snapdragon Stadium was the event's primary venue, with Torero Stadium and other fields at both San Diego State University and the University of San Diego also used for tournament play.
The city is also currently home to the NCAA Division I San Diego State Aztecs women's lacrosse team.
Volleyball
editThe Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF), the highest level of women's professional volleyball, announced a San Diego team in 2023 (ultimately named the San Diego Mojo) as one of the league's charter members, began play within the league's first season in 2024. USA Volleyball star Kerri Walsh Jennings was announced as the new team's lead owner.[36] In June 2023, former olympian Tayyiba Haneef-Park was named the team's first head coach.[37]
In 2022, San Diego received an expansion team in the National Volleyball Association (NVA), the highest level of men's professional volleyball, which would begin play in the 2023 NVA season. The team, which became known as the San Diego Wild, reached the 2023 NVA Championship Cup Finals in its first season, ultimately finishing runner-up after falling to the Orange County Stunners 3–0 on July 30, 2023.
Rugby
editThe San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR), the highest level of rugby in the United States, are based in the city at Snapdragon Stadium. The team moved for the 2023 season after previously playing at both Torero Stadium and the SDSU Sports Deck.[38] The Legion began play in 2018 as one of the league's seven founding franchises.
In women's rugby, the San Diego Surfers have competed in the 10-team Women's Premier League (WPL), the highest level of domestic women's rugby union, since 2011. Initially founded in 1975 as an amateur team, the club has won the WPL national title twice, in 2016 and 2018, in addition to four national championships in USA Rugby Club 7s.
An array of clubs, ranging from men's and women's clubs to collegiate and high school clubs, are part of the Southern California Rugby Football Union.[39] The United States national rugby sevens team train at the United States Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, San Diego. Additionally, the USA Sevens, an event in the annual World Rugby Sevens Series for international teams in rugby sevens, was held in Petco Park from 2007 through 2009 before moving to Las Vegas for 2010 and back to Los Angeles more recently.
The San Diego Breakers, who played in the only season of PRO Rugby (2016) before the league folded, likewise played at Torero Stadium. The USA Sevens, a major international rugby event, was also held at the same stadium from 2007 through 2009. San Diego is also represented by Old Mission Beach Athletic Club RFC,[40] the former home club of USA Rugby's former Captain Todd Clever.[41] San Diego participated in the Western American National Rugby League between 2011 and 2013.[42]
Tennis
editThe San Diego Open is a WTA 500 tournament held at the Barnes Tennis Centre. In August 2021, after the cancellation of the Asia Swing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Barnes Tennis Centre San Diego was allocated a two-year ATP 250 tournament license.
The San Diego Aviators of World TeamTennis (WTT) moved to San Diego from New York City prior to the start of the 2014 season. They were founded in 1995 and formerly known as the New York Sportimes. The Aviators played their 2014 home matches at the indoor Valley View Casino Center. In 2015, they moved to Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad. In their first three seasons in San Diego, they finished with the league's top regular-season record twice (2014 and 2016), and won the King Trophy as 2016 WTT champions. The WTT went on hiatus after cancelling the 2022 season.
San Diego has had two previous WTT franchises. The San Diego Friars were a WTT expansion franchise that began play in 1975. They used the San Diego Sports Arena (now Pechanga Arena) as their primary home venue but played some home matches at the Anaheim Convention Center between 1975 and 1977, before Anaheim got its own team in 1978. After missing the playoffs their first two seasons, the Friars qualified in 1977 and 1978, and were the 1978 Western Division champions, but lost in the quarterfinals. The team folded after the 1978 season. International Tennis Hall of Famers Rod Laver and Dennis Ralston played for the Friars.
In 1981, the Friars returned as an expansion franchise as WTT resumed operations rebranded as TeamTennis after a hiatus. After three seasons as the Friars, the team was renamed the San Diego Buds before the 1984 season. The Buds won both the 1984 and 1985 TeamTennis championships but folded following the 1985 season. Hall of Famer Rosie Casals was the Friars player-coach in 1983.
At the collegiate level, San Diego State University, University of San Diego, and UC San Diego each support both men's and women's NCAA Division I tennis teams.
Ultimate
editSan Diego is represented at the highest professional level of men's ultimate in the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) by the San Diego Growlers. The team began play in 2015. The UFA (formerly the AUDL) officially announced the Growlers as an expansion team in October 2014.
A women's highest-level team in the Western Ultimate League (WUL), the San Diego Super Bloom, was launched in 2020 as one of the league's founding franchises, formerly known as the San Diego Wolfpack. The team competes as a member of the Southwest Division of the league.
Sailing
editSan Diego Yacht Club is a yacht club located in San Diego Bay. The club is one of the oldest in the United States, founded in 1886. It is located in Point Loma across from a spit of land known as Shelter Island. San Diego Yacht Club won the America's Cup in 1987, 1988, and 1992, hosting the event in 1988, 1992, and 1995. The club boasts one of the largest and oldest junior sailing programs in the country.
Cricket
editThe San Diego Surf Riders are a professional Twenty20 cricket team that competes in Minor League Cricket (MiLC). The Surf Riders began play in the league's 2021 season. The team's home ground is Canyonside Park, located in the community of Rancho Peñasquitos.
Ulama
editThe Atlético Tlecoyotes de San Diego compete in the Mesoamerican Ballgame Association USA, also known as AJUPEME USA, the main sports organization for Ulama in the United States. The team became one of the first in the league in 2023.[43] The region is becoming a center for the revival of the Mesoamerican ball game as the team hosts Ulama events across the county.[44] AJUPEME USA plays Ulama de Cadera, or hip ulama, meaning it plays the iteration of Ulama with hips.
Former teams
editFormer major league teams
edit| Club | Sport | Duration | League | Venue(s) | Titles | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||||||
| San Diego Chargers | Football | 1961 | 2016 | National Football League (NFL): 1970–2016
American Football League (AFL): 1961–1969 |
San Diego Stadium, Balboa Stadium | AFL: 1 (1963) | Owner Dean Spanos relocated franchise to the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood to be a tenant in the newly constructed SoFi Stadium.[45] |
| San Diego Clippers | Basketball | October 13, 1978 | April 14, 1984 | National Basketball Association (NBA) | San Diego Sports Arena | Owner Donald Sterling relocated franchise to Los Angeles, successfully utilizing lawsuits to do so, after twice being denied official permission from the NBA (in both 1982 & 1984) to move.[46] | |
| San Diego Mariners | Ice hockey | 1974 | 1977 | World Hockey Association (WHA) | San Diego Sports Arena | Franchise folded upon failed 1977 NHL-WHA merger (2 years prior to 1979 NHL-WHA merger) | |
| San Diego Conquistadors / Sails | Basketball | October 13, 1972 | November 12, 1975 | American Basketball Association (ABA) | San Diego Sports Arena; Golden Hall; Peterson Gymnasium | Franchise folded after ownership learned it was to be excluded from the upcoming ABA–NBA merger (occurred 6 months later), reportedly at the insistence of Los Angeles Lakers then-ownership.[47][48] | |
| San Diego Rockets | Basketball | October 14, 1967 | March 21, 1971 | National Basketball Association (NBA) | San Diego Sports Arena | Owner encountered financial turmoil, franchise sale and relocation to Houston, Texas resulted.[49] | |
Former professional teams
edit| Club | Sport | Duration | League | Venue(s) | Titles | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||||||
| Albion San Diego | Soccer | 2015 | 2023 | National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) | Canyon Crest Academy | Inactive as of 2024 season | |
| San Diego Loyal SC | Soccer | 2019 | 2023 | USL Championship (USLC) | Torero Stadium | Folded | |
| San Diego Sockers 2 | Indoor soccer | 2017 | 2023 | Major Arena Soccer League 2[p] | Pechanga Arena | 2 (2019, 2022) | Dormant as of 2023–24 season |
| San Diego Surfers | Rugby
(women's) |
1975;[q] 2011 | 2022 | Women's Premier League (WPL) | Robb Field | 2[r] | Withdrew from WPL, still competes in club competition |
| San Diego Aviators | Team tennis | 2014[s] | 2021 | World TeamTennis (WTT)[t] | |||
| San Diego 1904 FC | Soccer | 2019 | 2021 | National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) | Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center | Taken Over by Albion San Diego | |
| San Diego Fleet | Football | 2019 | 2019 | Alliance of American Football (AAF) | San Diego Stadium | League folded | |
| San Diego Surge | Football (women's) | 2010 | 2019 | Women's Football Alliance (WFA) | Santana High School | 1 (2012) | Folded |
| San Diego Breakers | Rugby | 2016 | 2017 | PRO Rugby | Torero Stadium | League folded | |
| San Diego Sting | Football (women's) | 2010 | 2016 | Women's Football Alliance (WFA) | Carlsbad High School | ||
| San Diego Flash | Soccer | 1998 | 2016 | National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) | Mira Mesa High School Stadium | Folded | |
| So Cal Scorpions | Football (women's) | 2003 | 2011 | Women's Football Alliance (WFA) | Balboa Stadium | Folded | |
| San Diego Shockwave | Indoor football | 2007 | 2008 | National Indoor Football League (NIFL) | Cox Arena | 1 (2007) | League folded |
| San Diego Pumitas | Soccer | 1999 | 2007 | National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) | Balboa Stadium | ||
| San Diego Gauchos | Soccer | 2002 | 2007 | Premier Development League (PDL) | Torero Stadium | Folded | |
| San Diego Sunwaves | Soccer (women's) | 2005 | 2007 | USL W-League | Torero Stadium | Folded | |
| San Diego Gulls | Ice hockey | 1995[u] | 2006[v] | West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) | San Diego Sports Arena | Folded. Revived 2015 | |
| San Diego Siege | Basketball (women's) | 2006 | 2006 | National Women's Basketball League (NWBL) | Harry West Gymnasium | League folded | |
| San Diego Riptide | Indoor football | 2002 | 2005 | AF2 | San Diego Sports Arena | Folded | |
| San Diego Sockers | Indoor soccer | 2001[w] | 2004 | Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) | San Diego Sports Arena | Folded. Revived 2009 | |
| San Diego Spirit | Soccer (women's) | 2001 | 2003 | Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) | Torero Stadium | League folded | |
| San Diego Top Guns | Soccer | 1994 | 1996 | United Soccer League (USL) | Merrill Douglas Stadium, San Diego Mesa College | Folded | |
| San Diego Barracudas | Inline hockey | 1993 | 1996 | Roller Hockey International (RHI) | San Diego Sports Arena | Relocated to Ontario, California, became the Ontario Barracudas. | |
| San Diego Gulls | Ice hockey | 1990[x] | 1995[y] | International Hockey League (IHL) | San Diego Sports Arena | Relocated to Los Angeles, became Los Angeles Ice Dogs. Revived later in 1995 | |
| San Diego Nomads | Soccer | 1986 | 1990 | Western Soccer Alliance (WSA) | 1 (1987) | Withdrew, became amateur team | |
| San Diego Buds / Friars | Team tennis | 1981 | 1985 | World TeamTennis (WTT) | 2 (1984, 1985) | Folded | |
| San Diego Sockers | Soccer | 1978 | 1984 | North American Soccer League (NASL) | San Diego Stadium | Became indoor-only team after NASL folded March 28, 1985 | |
| Indoor soccer | 1980 | 1996 | NASL, Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) | San Diego Sports Arena | 10 | Folded. Revived 2001 | |
| San Diego Hawks / Mariners | Ice hockey | 1977 | 1979 | Pacific Hockey League (PHL) | San Diego Sports Arena | League folded | |
| San Diego Friars | Team tennis | 1975 | 1978 | World TeamTennis (WTT) | Folded | ||
| San Diego Breakers | Volleyball (co-ed) | 1975 | 1978 | International Volleyball Association (IVA) | 1 (1976) | ||
| San Diego Jaws | Soccer | 1976 | 1976 | North American Soccer League (NASL) | Aztec Bowl | Relocated to Las Vegas, becoming Las Vegas Quicksilvers for 1 season before relocating back to San Diego in 1978 as San Diego Sockers. | |
| Indoor soccer | San Diego Sports Arena | ||||||
| San Diego Gulls | Ice hockey | 1966 | 1974 | Western Hockey League (WHL) | San Diego Sports Arena | Folded upon the arrival of WHA's Jersey Knights (became San Diego Mariners). Revived 1990 | |
| San Diego Toros | Soccer | 1968 | 1968 | North American Soccer League (NASL) | Balboa Stadium | Folded | |
| San Diego Skyhawks | Ice hockey | 1960[z] | 1962 | California Hockey League (CHL) | Folded | ||
| San Diego Skyhawks | Ice hockey | 1941 | 1950 | Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL) | Glacier Gardens | 1 (1949) | Folded |
| San Diego Bombers | Football | 1940 | 1946 | Pacific Coast Professional Football League (PCPHL) | Balboa Stadium | ||
Former college teams
edit| Club | University | League | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Katherine Firebirds | University of Saint Katherine | NAIA (2010–2024) | California Pacific Conference |
| San Diego Christian Hawks | San Diego Christian College | NAIA (1999–2023) | Golden State Athletic Conference |
| United States International Gulls | United States International University | NCAA Division I (1979–88) | Independent |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ MLB, NFL, NBA, and the NHL are commonly referred to as the "Big Four".
- ^ First season in San Diego
- ^ Average home game attendance
- ^ Original founding as a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team: San Diego Padres (PCL)
- ^ First season in San Diego
- ^ Average home game attendance
- ^ Team was temporarily dormant for 2021 season due to effects of COVID-19 pandemic
- ^ Original founding. Current team is the 3rd San Diego Sockers iteration of highest-level professional indoor soccer, revived in 2009. Previous teams: San Diego Sockers (1978–1996) and San Diego Sockers (2001–2004)
- ^ Sockers franchise includes titles won by its original iteration, San Diego Sockers (1978–1996), in preceding top professional indoor soccer leagues. The franchise's titles by league are as follows:
MASL: 6 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2021, 2022)
MISL: 8 (1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992)
NASL Indoor: 2 (1982, 1984) - ^ Team began play in 2019 as Redwoods Lacrosse Club, a charter member of the PLL, which was a touring-only league of nomadic teams for its first five seasons. The league assigned teams to home markets beginning in 2024, with San Diego's Torero Stadium becoming the home of the Redwoods
- ^ First season in San Diego
- ^ Average home game attendance
- ^ Original founding. Current team is the 4th San Diego Gulls iteration of minor league professional ice hockey, revived in 2015. Previous teams: San Diego Gulls (1966–1974), San Diego Gulls (1990–1995) & San Diego Gulls (1995–2006)
- ^ Current AHL franchise was founded in 2000 as the Norfolk Admirals, later relocating to San Diego and assuming the Gulls name in 2015
- ^ The arena's capacity is reduced to 12,920 for ice hockey and box lacrosse
- ^ Team was dormant for 2019–20 & 2021 seasons
- ^ Original founding as an amateur club
- ^ 2016, 2018
In addition to WPL championships, the team was won several club championships:
D1: 3 (2009, 2010, 2023)
USA Rugby Club 7s: 4 (2012, 2014, 2018, 2019) - ^ Franchise was founded in 1995 in New York City, relocated to San Diego in 2014
- ^ League has been on hiatus since 2022
- ^ 3nd San Diego Gulls iteration, founded the same year previous team relocated (San Diego Gulls (1990–1995))
- ^ 4th and current San Diego Gulls iteration was later founded in 2015 (San Diego Gulls)
- ^ 2nd San Diego Sockers iteration. Original founded in 1978
- ^ 2nd San Diego Gulls iteration. Original team played from 1966 to 1974 (San Diego Gulls (1966–1974))
- ^ 3nd San Diego Gulls iteration was founded later in 1995 (San Diego Gulls (1995–2006))
- ^ 2nd San Diego Skyhawks iteration
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- ^ "2American Hockey League 2021-22 Attendance Graph". www.hockeydb.com/. December 29, 2022.
- ^ "Clippers go back to the future by moving G League team to San Diego". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ "Facts & Figures". admissions.sdsu.edu. Retrieved 2022-12-18.
- ^ "Facts About USD - University of San Diego". www.sandiego.edu. Retrieved 2022-12-18.
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- ^ a b "San Diego Gulls – History".
- ^ Mulvoy, Mark. "A not so silent minority". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com.
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- ^ "Kings 4-3 Ducks (Sep 29, 2023) Final Score". ESPN.
- ^ "Women's pro soccer coming to San Diego in 2022". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
- ^ "Divisions | United Premier Soccer League". www.upsl.com.
- ^ "The Founders of San Diego NASL". San Diego NASL. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
- ^ NASL (June 26, 2017). "NASL announces expansion club in San Diego for 2018 season". NASL press release. Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
- ^ Straus, Brian. "Landon Donovan, Warren Smith bring USL to San Diego". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ "Guide to San Diego Golf". www.sandiego.org. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
- ^ "San Diego Golf Courses – Complete List". www.sandiego.org. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
- ^ "World Lacrosse awards 2023 Men's World Championship to San Diego". World Lacrosse. 2022-01-10. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
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- ^ "San Diego Pro Volleyball Team Names First Coach, Olympian Tayyiba Haneef-Park". Times of San Diego. 2023-06-09.
- ^ Tripp, Darnay (2022-02-02). "Legion to Play at Snapdragon Stadium Beginning in 2023". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Clippers and NBA Reach Agreement; Suit Dropped". Los Angeles Times. 1987-09-30.
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