Love is in the air this February, but your relationship isn’t the only thing heating up around Valentine’s Day. This month features arguably the best 10-day stretch of sports all year. The San Diego Legion’s season opener kicks things off on February 16, then a week-and-a-half later the SheBelieves Cup brings the U.S. women’s national soccer team to town. In between, the Padres start their 2025 campaign, San Diego FC starts its existence, and San Diego State men’s basketball team continues its inexorable march to mid-major supremacy. Make sure you plan a nice date for your Valentine’s, because we have a feeling you’ll be watching sports the rest of the month.
San Diego Legion vs. Seattle Seawolves
Sunday, February 16 | 5:00 p.m. | Torero Stadium
Since being founded in 2017, the San Diego Legion rugby team has been a consistent winner in Major League Rugby. They reached the Western Conference semifinals in each of the last three years and were league runners-up in 2019 and 2023. The Legion kickoff their 2025 season on February 16 hoping to continue those winning ways, but there are some changes.
After playing at Snapdragon Stadium the last two years, the Legion will set up camp at University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium, and new head coach John Manenti takes the helm. “[San Diego’s] ultimate aim of winning a championship is paramount, but they are focused on making rugby a mainstream sport in America and getting kids playing the game,” said Manenti, who most recently coached the Australian men’s sevens team. “All those things really appealed to me… and I got excited about getting stuck in.”
San Diego Padres vs. Seattle Mariners
Friday, February 21 | 12:10 p.m. | Peoria Sports Complex, Arizona
Yes, this matchup occurs in the middle of a weekday, and yes, by the third inning you likely won’t be familiar with a single player on the field, but the Padres’ first spring training game means baseball is officially and emphatically back. There are concerns over the team’s inactivity this offseason. The Friars’ only transaction of note is bringing in veteran catcher Elias Diaz on a one-year deal, and fan favorites Jurickson Profar and Ha-Seong Kim left in free agency. At the Padres’ recent FanFest, star third baseman Manny Machado voiced what many fans are thinking. “Are we disappointed that we haven’t made any moves? Yeah.” That said, there is still a ton of talent on the team’s roster, and soon we’ll be settling into the rhythms of another summer at Petco Park.
San Diego FC vs LA Galaxy
Saturday, February 23 | 4:00 p.m. | Carson, CA
Watch: Apple TV
The wait is finally over. San Diego FC is taking the pitch for its first game ever in this Southern California Derby (a ‘derby’ is a term for a soccer game between teams from the same city or region). A lot of questions swirling around SDFC will finally be answered. Will Chucky Lozano be the star that the team signed him to be? Will San Diego native midfielder Luca de la Torre be the creator he was in Europe?
But it all starts with first-time head coach Mikey Varas, who poses a question to himself when planning for games. “What do you want the team to achieve when they step on the field?” Varas says. “We want a team that goes after the game, that’s proactive, scores goals, and finds solutions to problems.” And his favorite slogans can apply to the fans just as much to the players. “Be brave,” he says. “Be relentless.”
SDSU Men’s Basketball vs. New Mexico
Tuesday, February 25 | 8:00 p.m. | Viejas Arena
Watch: FS1
At 15-5, the San Diego State men’s basketball team is having yet another fine season that’s overlooked by the national media. Maybe people will take notice after the Aztecs’ February 25 game against New Mexico, which will be one of the biggest of the season. New Mexico leads the Mountain West Conference standings, and a victory for either team could determine their postseason fate. “I’ve said from the start of the year that this is a gritty team,” SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher said after a recent win over San Jose State. “Our fans get behind us. They hang in there with us. These are young kids playing their hearts out.” The game against New Mexico includes a Black History Month celebration, and the first 500 students in attendance receive a free t-shirt.
SheBelieves Cup
Wednesday, February 26 | 4:30 & 7:30 p.m. | Snapdragon Stadium
Watch: TBS, Max, Universo, Peacock
In less than three years, Snapdragon Stadium has become an epicenter of women’s soccer. The Wave are a top draw in the National Women’s Soccer League, and last summer the U.S. women’s national team won the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup in Mission Valley. The excitement continues with the SheBelieves Cup, the annual six-game competition featuring some of the best national teams in the world. Snapdragon Stadium hosts the final two games on February 26, with the U.S. facing off against Japan and Australia taking on Colombia. “This will be my first SheBelieves Cup, but I’ve followed the tournament, and it always produces close games between top teams,” said U.S. head coach Emma Hayes in a statement. “All the games will be great tests for the teams and fun for all the fans.”
