Sports in San Diego facts for kids

San Diego is a city that loves sports! It has one main professional team, the San Diego Padres baseball team, which plays in Major League Baseball (MLB). Many people in San Diego also cheer for college teams like the San Diego State Aztecs, who play in NCAA Division I.

San Diego is also home to other top professional teams. These include the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)'s San Diego Wave FC, the National Lacrosse League (NLL)'s San Diego Seals, and Major League Rugby (MLR)'s San Diego Legion. You can also find the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)'s San Diego Sockers, the Indoor Football League (IFL)'s San Diego Strike Force, and World TeamTennis (WTT)'s San Diego Aviators.

San Diego is the biggest city in the United States that hasn't won a championship in the biggest sports leagues like the National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl, the MLB World Series, the National Basketball Association (NBA) NBA Finals, or the National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup. There are no NFL, NBA, or NHL teams in San Diego right now. However, the city did win one major championship: the 1963 American Football League (AFL) Championship. This was won by the former San Diego Chargers when the AFL was its own league.

Because San Diego teams haven't won many big championships and some teams have even moved away, some fans feel like there's a bit of bad luck for professional sports in the city. But teams in other top professional sports (not the "major" ones) have had more success! San Diego teams have won titles in sports like indoor soccer, tennis, sailing, and Australian football. For example, the San Diego Sockers have won 16 titles in indoor soccer!

Petco Park, where the San Diego Padres play baseball.

Viejas Arena at San Diego State University, home of the San Diego State Aztecs basketball teams.

Professional Sports Teams

San Diego has one team in the four biggest professional sports leagues in the United States: the San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball (MLB).

The city used to have the NFL's San Diego Chargers from 1962 to 2017. But the team moved to Los Angeles and is now called the Los Angeles Chargers. Even though San Diego doesn't have a major professional football team, it does have a top-level indoor football team, the San Diego Strike Force in the Indoor Football League (IFL).

San Diego also had three professional basketball teams in the past, but they didn't stay long. These were the NBA's San Diego Rockets (1967-1971, now the Houston Rockets) and the NBA's San Diego Clippers (1978-1984, now the Los Angeles Clippers). There was also the American Basketball Association (ABA)'s San Diego Conquistadors/Sails (1972-1975). No professional basketball teams play in San Diego today.

The city has never had an NHL hockey team. However, it has hosted many minor league hockey teams, including the current American Hockey League (AHL) team, the San Diego Gulls.

San Diego has never had a Major League Soccer (MLS) team. But it is home to the USL Championship (USLC)'s San Diego Loyal SC (a second-tier league) and the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA)'s Albion San Diego (a third-tier league). It also has the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)'s San Diego Sockers, who play at the highest professional level of indoor soccer. The San Diego Wave FC started playing in 2022 in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), which is the top level for women's professional soccer.

Top Professional Teams

These teams play at the highest level in their sport in the country.

Bold means it's a team from a major professional league.

Italic means it's a semi-pro or club team. These are the highest-level teams in sports that don't have professional leagues in the country.

Minor League Professional Teams

These teams play in leagues that are a step below the very top professional level in their sport.

College Sports

San Diego has several college sports teams that play in the NCAA Division I, which is the highest level for college sports. These include the San Diego State Aztecs (MW), the San Diego Toreros (WCC), and the UC San Diego Tritons (BWC).

Other local colleges also have sports teams:

• The Cal State San Marcos Cougars (CCAA) and Point Loma Nazarene Sea Lions (PacWest) are in NCAA Division II.
• The San Diego Christian Hawks (GSAC) and Saint Katherine Firebirds (CalPac) are part of the NAIA.

Sports Events

Yearly Events

The yearly Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament is held at San Diego's Torrey Pines Golf Course. It has been played there since 1968. This tournament started in 1952 and was played at different places in the San Diego area. Torrey Pines Golf Course also hosted the 2008 U.S. Open Golf Championship.

There have been two international track and field competitions at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. These were called the Thorpe Cup, where athletes from the United States and Germany compete in decathlon and heptathlon.

San Diego also has several running races, like the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in June and the America's Finest City Half Marathon in August. There are also many triathlons.

The San Diego Crew Classic, held in Mission Bay each spring, features over 100 college and amateur rowing crews.

The fun beach sport called Over-the-line was invented in San Diego. The world championships for this sport are held at Mission Bay every year.

San Diego also hosts the Bayfair Cup, a hydroplane boat race that is part of the H1 Unlimited season. This race usually happens during the Bayfair Festival in Mission Bay.

A surfer at Black's Beach.

Athletes from the US and Germany after the 2010 Thorpe Cup.

Past Events

San Diego has hosted many big sports events in the past, including:

• 1971 NBA All-Star Game
• NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four
• 1978 MLB All-Star Game
• Super Bowl XXII (1988)
• 1988 America's Cup
• 1992 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
• Super Bowl XXXII (1998)
• 1998 World Series (games 3 & 4)
• Super Bowl XXXVII (2003)
• U.S. Open Golf Championship
• 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
• U.S. Open Golf Championship

Upcoming Event

• 2023 World Lacrosse Championship

Sports Venues

San Diego has several places where sports teams play. Petco Park is the home of the San Diego Padres baseball team. Snapdragon Stadium, which is a new stadium, will be the home for the NCAA Division I San Diego State Aztecs football team. It will also host local high school football championships and the Holiday Bowl.

Pechanga Arena is home to the San Diego Gulls hockey team, the San Diego Seals lacrosse team, the San Diego Strike Force indoor football team, and the San Diego Sockers indoor soccer team.

From 1967 until 2017, the National Football League's San Diego Chargers played at Qualcomm Stadium. This stadium also hosted the Aztecs, high school football championships, international soccer games, and Supercross events. Three NFL Super Bowl championships were held there. Qualcomm Stadium was taken down in 2021.

Balboa Stadium was the city's first stadium, built in 1914. The San Diego Chargers once played there. Today, soccer, football, and track and field are played at Balboa Stadium.

Sports in Detail

Baseball

The San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB) play at Petco Park. This stadium opened in 2004 in Downtown San Diego's East Village. Before Petco Park, the Padres played at San Diego Stadium (also known as Jack Murphy Stadium and Qualcomm Stadium).

The Padres joined MLB in 1969. Before that, they were a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 1936 to 1968. As a minor league team, they played at Lane Field and Westgate Park. Their last year 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: in 1978 and 1992 at San Diego Stadium, and in 2016 at Petco Park.

Petco Park has also hosted the World Baseball Classic three times: in 2006 (where San Diego hosted the championship), 2009, and 2017.

Local college baseball teams are also popular, especially the NCAA Division I teams: San Diego State Aztecs, San Diego Toreros, and UC San Diego Tritons. These teams play their home games at their own stadiums on campus.

MLB All-Star Games in San Diego

Football

The most popular American football team in San Diego is the San Diego State Aztecs football team. They play in NCAA Division I FBS. The Aztecs will play their home games at the new Snapdragon Stadium when it's finished in September 2022. The San Diego Toreros football team, which plays in NCAA Division I FCS, also has local fans. The Toreros play at their stadium on campus, Torero Stadium.

San Diego is also home to the San Diego Strike Force of the Indoor Football League (IFL). This is the highest level of professional Indoor American football. The Strike Force started playing in 2019.

The city does not have a National Football League (NFL) team right now. It used to have the San Diego Chargers from 1961 to 2016. The Chargers started in 1960 as a team in the American Football League (AFL). They played their first season in Los Angeles before moving to San Diego in 1961. The Chargers joined the NFL in 1970 and played at Balboa Stadium, then at San Diego Stadium. They moved to Los Angeles in 2017 and are now called the Los Angeles Chargers. This move left San Diego without a professional football team for the first time since 1961.

San Diego hosted the Super Bowl three times at San Diego Stadium when the Chargers were in the city.

Super Bowls (NFL) in San Diego

Basketball

The most popular basketball team in San Diego is the San Diego State Aztecs. They play in NCAA Division I at their campus arena, Viejas Arena. The San Diego Toreros and UC San Diego Tritons, also in NCAA Division I, play at their own campus arenas.

San Diego does not have a professional basketball team right now. However, the city has a history of hosting professional basketball teams from 1967 to 1984.

The San Diego Rockets, an NBA team, played from 1967 to 1971. The team moved to Houston because of financial problems. The team is now known as the Houston Rockets. The 1971 NBA All-Star Game was held in San Diego.

From 1972 to 1975, San Diego had the San Diego Conquistadors of the ABA. This team eventually folded.

Professional basketball returned from 1978 to 1984 with the NBA's San Diego Clippers. The team played at the San Diego Sports Arena. The owner tried to move the team to Los Angeles several times. Even though the NBA said no, the owner moved the team to Los Angeles in 1984. The team is now known as the Los Angeles Clippers. San Diego has not had a major professional basketball team since then.

NBA All-Star Game in San Diego

Ice Hockey

San Diego has never had a NHL team. However, the city has the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League. This is the highest level of minor league ice hockey. The current Gulls team started in 2015 and plays at Pechanga Arena. They are part of a long history of professional ice hockey teams named San Diego Gulls.

San Diego has a long history of minor league ice hockey teams. The first was the San Diego Skyhawks from 1948 to 1950. Hockey returned in 1966 with the original San Diego Gulls. This team was very popular and had many fans.

The Gulls stopped playing in 1974 when the San Diego Mariners of the World Hockey Association (WHA) arrived. The WHA was a rival league to the NHL. But the WHA had financial problems, and the Mariners folded in 1977.

Other Gulls teams played in different leagues over the years. The current San Diego Gulls, in the American Hockey League, started playing in 2015. They are the top minor league team for the NHL's Anaheim Ducks.

Soccer

San Diego has never hosted a MLS team. However, it is represented by San Diego Loyal SC of the USL Championship (a top minor league) and Albion San Diego SC of the National Independent Soccer Association.

In 2022, the city became home to the San Diego Wave FC. This is a new team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), which is the top women's professional soccer league. They will play at Torero Stadium before moving to the new Snapdragon Stadium.

The city also hosts the San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL). This is the highest level of professional indoor soccer. The current Sockers team continues the legacy of other professional soccer teams that used the San Diego Sockers name.

At the college level, all three NCAA Division I schools in San Diego have men's and women's soccer teams.

Golf

The PGA Tour's yearly Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament happens at Torrey Pines Golf Course. This course has hosted the tournament since 1968. It was also the site of the 2008 U.S. Open Golf Championship.

The LPGA Tour's Kia Classic is held every year at the Aviara Golf Club in nearby Carlsbad.

At the college level, San Diego has NCAA Division I golf teams from San Diego State, University of San Diego, and UC San Diego.

The San Diego area has a total of 72 golf courses.

Torrey Pines Golf Course, where the PGA Tour's annual Farmers Insurance Open is held.

Lacrosse

In 2017, the National Lacrosse League (NLL), the top box lacrosse league, added a new team in San Diego. This team is called the San Diego Seals. They started playing in December 2018 at Pechanga Arena.

In January 2022, it was announced that San Diego would host the 2023 World Lacrosse Championship. The new Snapdragon Stadium will be the main place for this event.

The city is also home to the NCAA Division I San Diego State Aztecs women's lacrosse team.

Rugby Union

Rugby union is played by both professional and amateur teams in San Diego.

The San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR) is the top professional rugby union team in the United States. They play at Torero Stadium and plan to move to the new Snapdragon Stadium in 2023. The Legion started playing in 2018.

For women's rugby, the San Diego Surfers have played in the Women's Premier League (WPL) since 2011. This is the highest level of women's rugby union in the country. The club has won the WPL national title twice, in 2016 and 2018.

Many other rugby clubs exist for men, women, colleges, and high schools. The United States national rugby sevens team trains at the United States Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.

Here are some current rugby teams in San Diego:

Tennis

The San Diego Aviators of World TeamTennis (WTT) moved to San Diego from New York City in 2014. They were founded in 1995 and used to be called the New York Sportimes. The Aviators won the WTT championship in 2016.

San Diego has had two other WTT teams in the past. The San Diego Friars played from 1975 to 1978. Then, the Friars returned in 1981 and were renamed the San Diego Buds in 1984. The Buds won the championships in 1984 and 1985.

At the college level, San Diego State, University of San Diego, and UC San Diego all have men's and women's NCAA Division I tennis teams.

Ultimate

Ultimate (also known as ultimate frisbee) is a growing sport in San Diego. The city has a men's professional team, the San Diego Growlers, in the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL). They started playing in 2015. There's also a women's top-level team, the San Diego Super Bloom, in the Western Ultimate League (WUL). This team started in 2020.

Former Sports Teams

San Diego has been home to many sports teams that are no longer here.

Major Professional Former Teams

These teams used to play in the biggest professional sports leagues.

Other Former Teams

These teams played in other professional or semi-professional leagues.