San Diego's biggest sports moments of 2025
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San Diego FC had an explosive first season in the MLS. Image: Kate Murphy/Axios
San Diego sports fans experienced agony, thrill and joy in 2025, and their loyalty shone through it all.
Here's a look back at some of this year's biggest sports moments:
⚽ San Diego FC's home opener with a roaring record-breaking crowd at Snapdragon Stadium set the tone for the team's historic inaugural season in the MLS.
- Yes, but: The team was forced to confront fans yelling homophobic, discriminatory chants that threatened to end the game early.
- SDFC won its first-ever playoff game at home in front of a sellout crowd, but the dream season ended in the Western Conference final.
⚾ San Diego Padres catcher Freddy Fermin hit a walk-off RBI in the 11th inning to send the Padres to the MLB playoffs.
- The team lost the NL wild-card series in Chicago, and we'll see if the new manager can lead the team to a deeper postseason run next year.
🏀 UC San Diego basketball teams made their March Madness debuts after winning Big West Conference tournaments. It was the first year the Tritons were eligible for the Big Dance.
- The SDSU Aztecs also went dancing, but got stomped by their opponents in their first games.
🌊 The San Diego Wave retired Alex Morgan's jersey, further cementing the soccer star's legacy in the city a few months after she became an investor in the NWSL team.
⛳ SDSU alum J.J. Spaun won his first major at the 2025 U.S. Open by sinking a tournament-long 64-foot putt in the rain.
🏈 What we're watching: After a standout season, SDSU football will play in a bowl game for the first time in three years. The Aztecs play the North Texas Mean Green in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 27.