Sports in San Diego and its surrounding metropolitan area includes major professional league teams, other highest-level professional league teams, minor league teams, and college athletics. San Diego hosts two major professional league teams, the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB) and San Diego FC of Major League Soccer (MLS). The area is home to several universities whose teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), most notably the San Diego State Aztecs. The Sentry, a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, is played annually at Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Currently, there is no NBA, NFL, or NHL team in San Diego. The city hosted the National Football League's (NFL) San Diego Chargers from 1961 to 2017, when the team relocated to the Greater Los Angeles area (now the Los Angeles Chargers). San Diego also hosted the National Basketball Association's (NBA) San Diego Rockets from 1967 to 1971 (now the Houston Rockets) and San Diego Clippers from 1978 to 1984 (now the Los Angeles Clippers), and the now-defunct American Basketball Association's (ABA) San Diego Conquistadors/Sails from 1972 to 1975, prior to the 1976 ABA–NBA merger. The city 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, prior to the 1979 NHL–WHA merger.
San Diego is the largest American city not to have won a championship in a major professional league. The city does have one major league title: 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.
Professional teams
Major professional league teams The following teams compete in a major professional league. ClubLeagueSportHome venueSinceAttendanceSan Diego PadresMLBBaseballPetco Park1936; 196942,434 (2025)San Diego FCMLSSoccerSnapdragon Stadium202528,064 (2025)
Other highest-level professional league teams The following teams compete in a highest-level professional league. ClubLeagueSportHome venueSinceAttendanceSan Diego Wave FCNWSLSoccer (women's)Snapdragon Stadium202219,575 (2024)San Diego SealsNLLBox lacrosseFrontwave Arena2018The Seals were located at Pechanga Arena from the teams inception in 2018 to August 21st 2026 when it relocated to Frontwave Arena5,230 (2025)San Diego Strike ForceIFLIndoor footballFrontwave Arena20191,930 (2023)San Diego SockersMASLIndoor soccerFrontwave Arena1978; 20091,732 (2023–24)Oceanside StealthAF1Arena footballFrontwave Arena2026California RedwoodsPLLField lacrosseTorero Stadium2024California PalmsWLLLacrosse sixes (women's)Torero Stadium2025 San Diego GrowlersUFAUltimateMission Bay High School2015San Diego Super BloomWULUltimate (women's)Kearny High School2022San Diego RebellionWNFCGridiron football (women's)Escondido High School2019San Diego CrossfireNDLDodgeball 2004
Minor league teams The following teams compete in a minor league. ClubLeagueSportHome venueSinceAttendanceSan Diego GullsAHLIce hockeyPechanga Arena1966; 20157,249 (2023–24)San Diego ClippersNBA G LeagueBasketballFrontwave Arena2024San Diego Surf RidersMiLCCricketCanyonside Park2021Oceanside ShockFPHLIce hockeyFrontwave Arena2026
College athletics
The following teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). ClubUniversityLeaguePrimary conferenceEnrollmentSan Diego State AztecsSan Diego State UniversityNCAA Division I (FBS)Pac-12 Conference35,723 (2022)San Diego TorerosUniversity of San DiegoNCAA Division I (FCS)West Coast Conference(football: Pioneer Football League)8,815 (2022)UC San Diego TritonsUniversity of California, San DiegoNCAA Division IBig West Conference42,968 (2022)Cal State San Marcos CougarsCalifornia State University, San MarcosNCAA Division IICalifornia Collegiate Athletic Association14,311 (2022)Point Loma Sea LionsPoint Loma Nazarene UniversityNCAA Division IIPacific West Conference3,179 (2021)
Teams sponsored by sport
NCAA Division I
ClubBaseballBasketballCross countryFencingFootballGolfLacrosseRowingSoccerSoftballSwimming & divingTennisTrack & fieldVolleyballWater PoloMMWMWMWMMWMWMWMWWMWMWMWMWMWSan Diego State Aztecs(FBS)San Diego Toreros(FCS)UC San Diego Tritons
NCAA Division II
ClubBaseballBasketballCross countryGolfSoccerSoftballTennisTrack & fieldVolleyballMMWMWMWMWWMWMWMWCal State San Marcos CougarsPoint Loma Sea Lions
Events
The following events occur annually in the San Diego metropolitan area. EventLeagueSportVenueSinceThe SentryPGA TourGolfTorrey Pines Golf Course1952Holiday BowlNCAA Division I (FBS)FootballSnapdragon Stadium1978Rady Children's InvitationalNCAA Division IBasketballJenny Craig Pavilion2023San Diego OpenATP Challenger TourTennisBarnes Tennis Center1984San Diego Bayfair CupH1 UnlimitedHydroplane racingMission Bay1964Rock 'n' Roll San Diego MarathonRock 'n' Roll Running SeriesRunningSan Diego1998
Venues
The following venues host professional and/or NCAA Division I teams and have a minimum capacity of 5000. VenueCapacityLeague(s)Current team(s)OpenedPetco Park39,860MLBSan Diego Padres2004Snapdragon Stadium35,000NCAA Division I (FBS)San Diego State Aztecs football2022MLSSan Diego FCNWSLSan Diego Wave FCPechanga Arena16,100AHLSan Diego Gulls1966Viejas Arena12,414NCAA Division ISan Diego State Aztecs men's basketball, women's basketball1997Frontwave Arena7,500NBA G LeagueSan Diego Clippers2024MASLSan Diego SockersIFLSan Diego Strike ForceNLLSan Diego SealsAF1Oceanside StealthFPHLOceanside ShockTorero Stadium6,000NCAA Division I (FCS)San Diego Toreros football, men's soccer, women's soccer1961PLLCalifornia RedwoodsJenny Craig Pavilion5,100NCAA Division ISan Diego Toreros men's basketball, women's basketball, women's volleyball2000LionTree Arena5,000NCAA Division IUC San Diego Tritons men's basketball, women's basketball, men's fencing, women's fencing, men's volleyball, women's volleyball1995
Sports
Baseball The 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 DateAll-Star GameWinnerRunsLoserRunsAttendanceVenueHost July 11, 1978 1978 (49th) National League (NL) 7 American League (AL) 351,549San Diego StadiumSan Diego Padres July 14, 1992 1992 (63rd) American League (AL) 13 National League (NL) 659,372Jack Murphy StadiumSan Diego PadresJuly 12, 20162016 (87th)American League (AL)4National League (NL)242,386Petco ParkSan Diego Padres
Basketball The 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 ( "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. 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.