![\"Golfers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SUT-L-golf-0126-032.jpg\")
Golfers walk on the green of the fifth hole during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines South Course on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\nThe best part about living in San Diego is, well, that we get to live here.<\/p>\n
But all too often, those of us in America\u2019s Finest City stay close to home. Life\u2019s easier when you don\u2019t have to fight traffic, find parking or purchase tickets.<\/p>\n
That ends today.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look at 12 sporting events \u2014 one each month, all year long \u2014 that will help you become not only a better sports fan in 2026 but a more well-rounded San Diegan, too. The following list of local events is by no means comprehensive given that some teams have yet to announce their schedules and, of course, times and dates are subject to change. But consider it a good start.<\/p>\n
So let\u2019s get moving. The first one is Friday!<\/p>\n
January: Take in the latest Holiday Bowl in history\u00a0<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s Holiday Bowl will technically be played next year, part of a scheduling quirk that moves San Diego\u2019s annual bowl game to Friday, Jan. 2. The past two Holiday Bowls were marked by opt-outs \u2014 USC star Caleb Williams missed in 2024, and Washington State left its quarterback and coach at home in 2025 \u2014 but this year\u2019s matchup at Snapdragon Stadium should be a good one. Both No. 21 Arizona (9-3) and SMU (8-4) boast star quarterbacks and pass-happy offensive schemes that fit perfectly with the Holiday Bowl\u2019s reputation as America\u2019s Most Exciting Bowl Game. Just make sure you know the difference between \u201cPony Up\u201d and \u201cBear Down\u201d before you go.<\/p>\n
Mark your calendars:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jan. 11: USATF National Marathon Race Walk Championships in Santee<\/p>\n
Jan. 16-18: San Diego Rodeo at Petco Park<\/p>\n
Jan. 17: Monster Energy AMA Supercross at Snapdragon Stadium<\/p>\n
Golfers walk on the green of the fifth hole during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines South Course on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n
February: Follow the leader at the Farmers Insurance Open<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s Farmers Insurance Open wraps on Feb. 1, giving San Diego\u2019s golf fans a chance to take in world-class competition at Torrey Pines Golf Course. The Open returns to a more traditional Thursday-through-Sunday format after being held Wednesday through Saturday in past years. The vibe is coastal cool: even if you don\u2019t know who won in 2025 (Harris English) or 2024 (Matthieu Pavon), you\u2019ll never forget the sweeping views and good-time crowds at Torrey Pines. But bring a quarter-zip: It gets windy (and foggy) out there.<\/p>\n
Mark your calendars:<\/p>\n
Feb. 1: Final day of the San Diego Open at the Barnes Tennis Center<\/p>\n
Feb. 3: San Diego FC vs. Pumas UNAM in Concacaf Champions Cup first-round play at Snapdragon Stadium<\/p>\n
Feb. 22: Harlem Globetrotters at Pechanga Arena<\/p>\n
Feb. 26: FIBA Men\u2019s World Cup Qualifying game: USA men\u2019s basketball national team vs. Dominican Republic at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside<\/p>\n
Feb. 27: \u201cNo Boxing, No Life\u201d fight card at SeaWorld\u2019s Nautilus Arena<\/p>\n
Feb. 28: UC San Diego men\u2019s basketball \u201cSenior Night\u201d vs. Cal Poly at LionTree Arena<\/p>\n
March: Step into the Madness at Viejas Arena<\/p>\n
The NCAA Tournament returns to Viejas Arena March 20 and 22 for the first two rounds of regional play. And while San Diego State won\u2019t be there \u2014 NCAA rules prohibit teams from playing on their home courts in the tournament \u2013 there\u2019s bound to be men\u2019s basketball blue-bloods in the building. The nation\u2019s top-ranked team, Arizona, is a good bet to stay in the West if it continues to win; if not, perennial powerhouses like Gonzaga or UCLA could post up in San Diego for the Friday-Sunday series. Buy your tickets now, but be warned: Watching a full day of NCAA Tournament games in person is intense, exhausting \u2014 and exhilarating.<\/p>\n
Mark your calendars:<\/p>\n
March 1: FIBA Men\u2019s World Cup Qualifying game: USA national basketball team vs. Mexico at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside<\/p>\n
March 13-14: National Women\u2019s Soccer League\u2019s opening weekend; San Diego Wave\u2019s schedule\/opponent TBA<\/p>\n
March 21-22: Savannah Bananas Baseball at Petco Park<\/p>\n
March 23: San Diego Strike Force season opener vs. Northern Arizona Wranglers at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside<\/p>\n
March 24-25: UC San Diego baseball vs. Oregon at Triton Field<\/p>\n
March 26: San Diego Padres\u2019 2026 season opener vs. Detroit Tigers at Petco Park<\/p>\n
March 27-29: San Diego Crew Classic on Mission Bay<\/p>\n
March 28: Ironman 70.3 Triathlon in Oceanside<\/p>\n
April: Guide the Gulls into the playoffs at Pechanga Arena\u00a0<\/p>\n
The San Diego Gulls last made the American Hockey League playoffs in 2021. They haven\u2019t advanced past the first round since 2019. But hockey hope springs eternal, and there\u2019s reason to believe that San Diego\u2019s struggles won\u2019t last forever. The club wraps the 2025-26 regular season on April 18 with a home game against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and there could be a playoff spot at stake. This year\u2019s Gulls have enough Anaheim Ducks prospects that they could make a push. And if not? Well, Gulls games are always a good time. The club finished eighth in the 32-team AHL in attendance last season.<\/p>\n
Mark your calendars:\u00a0<\/p>\n
April 2: Final day of San Diego Lions Baseball Tournament, various sites<\/p>\n
April 12: 40th annual Carlsbad 5000 race, Carlsbad<\/p>\n
April 17: San Diego Seals Fan Appreciation Night vs. Las Vegas Desert Dogs at Pechanga Arena<\/p>\n
April 23-26: Lakeside Rodeo, Lakeside<\/p>\n
April 30: San Diego Mojo regular-season finale vs. Grand Rapids Rise at Viejas Arena<\/p>\n
May: Put some heat on the Whitecaps\u00a0<\/p>\n
The last time the Vancouver Whitecaps visited San Diego, they scored two goals in the first 11 minutes and ended San Diego FC\u2019s season in the Major League Soccer Western Conference final. Well, Vancouver is back in town on May 23, and SDFC will be eager to pay back its rival. Wear your tennis shoes, bring cough drops and prepare to stand, chant and sing in SDFC\u2019s final match before its two-month World Cup break.<\/p>\n
Mark your calendars:\u00a0<\/p>\n
May 7-15: Etchells World Championship Regatta at San Diego Yacht Club<\/p>\n
May 22-27: NCAA Division I Women\u2019s Golf Championship at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Carlsbad<\/p>\n
May 29-June 3: NCAA Division I Men\u2019s Golf Championship at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Carlsbad<\/p>\n
May 29-31: Beach Soccer Championships (BeSoCha) in Oceanside<\/p>\n
May 31: Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll Marathon and Half-Marathon, finishing at Balboa Park<\/p>\n
![\"Anduril](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SanDiego_Anduril250_withPlane_CMYK.jpg\")
NASCAR\u2019s Anduril 250 Cup race will be held on Naval Base Coronado in June. (NASCAR)<\/p>\n
June: Witness San Diego racing history in Coronado<\/p>\n
San Diego will host its first-ever NASCAR Cup Series race as part of a three-day celebration of racing and the military at Naval Station Coronado. The June 21 Anduril 250 is named in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States and the Navy. The Cup Series race caps a weekend that includes the June 19 Craftsman Truck Series race and June 20 Xfinity Series race. El Cajon native Jimmie Johnson, one of the greatest drivers in the history of NASCAR, will attempt to qualify for all three races.<\/p>\n
Mark your calendars:\u00a0<\/p>\n
June 13-20: United States Police & Fire Championships, 28 venues throughout San Diego County<\/p>\n
June 16: USA Surfing Junior Championships, Oceanside<\/p>\n
June 26-28: San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park<\/p>\n
July: Watch California\u2019s best\u00a0<\/p>\n
The California State Summer Games return to San Diego in July. From July 17-20, more than 10,000 kids age 18 and under will participate in 29 sports competitions spread throughout San Diego County. (We\u2019re talking everything from archery and artistic swimming to basketball, skateboarding, squash, track and field and wrestling.) The Games begin July 17 with an opening ceremony and Athlete Parade at Pechanga Arena.<\/p>\n
Mark your calendars:\u00a0<\/p>\n
July 1: San Diego State moves to the Pac-12 Conference<\/p>\n
July 11-12, 18-19: OMBAC Over-the-Line World Championships at Fiesta Island<\/p>\n
July 17: Opening day of horse racing at Del Mar<\/p>\n
July 26: Solana Beach Triathlon and 5K in Solana Beach<\/p>\n
August: Get some sun in Oceanside<\/p>\n
The 49th annual World Bodysurfing Championships will be held Aug. 15-16 at the Oceanside Pier. As many as 400 bodysurfers will compete for awards in numerous age divisions, with men\u2019s and women\u2019s grand champions crowned at the end of the second day. Bodysurfing begins at 6:30 a.m. both days.<\/p>\n
Mark your calendars:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aug. 16: CVC San Diego Triathlon in Chula Vista<\/p>\n
Aug. 30: Pacific Classic at Del Mar<\/p>\n
September: Party like it\u2019s 1998 at Petco Park\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019ll be 1998 all over again on Sept. 4-6, when the New York Yankees visit Petco Park for an interleague series. New York is 21-10 all-time against the Padres, but it\u2019s the Yankees\u2019 first four wins that sting the most. Derek Jeter, Scott Brosius and Co. swept the Padres from the 1998 World Series, four games to none. The Padres haven\u2019t reached the World Series since.<\/p>\n
Mark your calendars:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sept. 5: USD football opener vs. UC Davis at Torero Stadium<\/p>\n
Sept. 11-20: World Surf League competition at Lower Trestles<\/p>\n
Sept. 19: San Diego State vs. Oregon State football at Snapdragon Stadium<\/p>\n
Sept. 27: San Diego Padres\u2019 regular-season finale vs. Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park<\/p>\n
October: Cross the border<\/p>\n
October\u2019s Binational Race might be the only half-marathon that starts in one country and finishes in a different one. The event starts at Las Americas in San Ysidro, takes runners through the San Ysidro-El Chaparral International Checkpoint and ends at Playas de Tijuana in Mexico. Race organizers say the Binational Race is \u201cpart of a regional movement promoting cultural, social, academic, sports, political, and family exchanges between San Diego and Tijuana.\u201d Want to run? Be sure to bring your passport, global entry or sentry card.<\/p>\n
Mark your calendars:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oct. 22-25: USA Ultimate Frisbee Championships at Surf Cup Sports Park in Del Mar<\/p>\n
Oct. 31-Nov. 8: USA Pickleball National Championships at Barnes Tennis Center<\/p>\n
November: Stuff yourself with college hoops<\/p>\n
The Rady Children\u2019s Invitational has brought its fair share of basketball blue-bloods to San Diego, but UCLA is special. The Bruins of the (ugh) Big Ten Conference highlight the 2026 Rady\u2019s field at Jenny Craig Pavilion, one that also includes Georgetown, Texas and Saint Mary\u2019s. The two-day event starts with two games on Nov. 26 \u2014 Thanksgiving \u2014 and wraps the next day with championship and third-place games.<\/p>\n
Mark your calendars:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nov. 7: San Diego FC\u2019s regular-season finale vs. Sporting Kansas City at Snapdragon Stadium<\/p>\n
Dates TBA: CIF San Diego Section football championships, various sites<\/p>\n
![\"Holiday](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766925795_732_PBM-L-SantaRun.jpg\")
Runners at the starting line of a Santa Run in Pacific Beach. (Courtesy of San Diego Running Co.)<\/p>\n
December: See Santa run at the Santa Run<\/p>\n
One of San Diego\u2019s enduring holiday traditions, the 14th annual San Diego Santa Run will take place Dec. 12 on Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach. Runners can choose between a traditional 5K, a 1-mile kids run or the very P.B. \u201cdog mile,\u201d a 1-mile race you can run alongside your pooch. The event takes place just before the annual Pacific Beach Christmas Parade. Participants in the 5K receive a \u201cSunny Santa\u201d suit, sunglasses and a drink ticket, while other racers get Santa hats, shirts and sunglasses.<\/p>\n
Mark your calendars:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dec. 19: San Diego Holiday Half-Marathon and 5K, starting in Rancho Penasquitos<\/p>\n
Date TBA: Alex Spanos All-Star Classic at Mira Mesa High School<\/p>\n
Dates TBA: Torrey Pines Holiday Classic basketball tournament, various locations throughout San Diego County<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The best part about living in San Diego is, well, that we get to live here. But all…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":111170,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[181,74,76,75,127,1696],"class_list":{"0":"post-111169","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-latest-headlines","9":"tag-san-diego","10":"tag-san-diego-headlines","11":"tag-san-diego-news","12":"tag-sports","13":"tag-top-stories-sdut"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111169"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111169\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}