TheSan Francisco Bay Area hosts six major professional men's sports franchises, two major professional women's franchises, as well as several other professional and college sports teams, and hosts for other sports events.
| Team | Sport | Bay Area since | League | Venue | City | Average attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | American football | 1946 | NFL | Levi's Stadium | Santa Clara | 70,799 |
| San Francisco Giants | Baseball | 1958 | MLB | Oracle Park | San Francisco | 41,677 |
| Golden State Valkyries | Basketball | 2025 | WNBA | Chase Center | 18,064 | |
| Golden State Warriors | 1962 | NBA | 18,064 | |||
| San Francisco Unicorns | Cricket | 2023 | MLC | Oakland Coliseum | Oakland | 12,000 |
| San Jose Sharks | Ice hockey | 1991 | NHL | SAP Center | San Jose | 16,747 |
| Bay FC | Soccer | 2024 | NWSL | PayPal Park | 13,617 | |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 1996 | MLS | 20,979 |
The Bay Area is home to theNational Football League (NFL)'sSan Francisco 49ers, who play atLevi's Stadium inSanta Clara, California.[1] The team previously played atCandlestick Park (1971–2013) andKezar Stadium (1946–1970) in San Francisco. The 49ers have won fiveSuper Bowl championships:1981 (XVI),[2]1984 (XIX),[3]1988 (XXIII),[4]1989 (XXIV),[5] and1994 (XXIX);[6]
The Bay Area was previously home to the NFL'sOakland Raiders from 1960–1981, and later 1995–2019. The Raiders won two Super Bowl championships:1976 (XI)[7] and1980 (XV).[8] The team played at Kezar Stadium, Candlestick Park, andFrank Youell Field before moving into theOakland Coliseum in 1966 and played there for the rest of their tenure. In 1982, the Raidersrelocated to Los Angeles where they played until 1994. In 2020, the Raidersrelocated to Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Bay Area hostedSuper Bowl XIX,Super Bowl 50, andSuper Bowl LX.
The Bay Area is home of aMajor League Baseball team, theSan Francisco Giants who play atOracle Park[9] and have won eightWorld Series titles (three as the San Francisco Giants (2010,2012, and2014) and five as theNew York Giants).
San Francisco was ranked #1 in 2012 among America's Best Baseball cities. The study examined which U.S. metro areas have produced the most Major Leaguers since 1920.[10]
The Bay Area was previously home of another MLB team, theOakland Athletics. They played at theOakland Coliseum from 1968 to 2024,[11] and won nine World Series titles (four as the Oakland Athletics, (1972,1973,1974, and1989) and five as thePhiladelphia Athletics). Like the Raiders, the team will permanently relocate toLas Vegas. After the2024 season concluded, the Oakland Athleticsmoved toSutter Health Park inWest Sacramento, where they will temporarily play as simply theAthletics, without a city, state, or region in their name, until their new ballpark in Las Vegas is completed in January 2028.[12] The Athletics had previously relocated to Oaklandfrom Kansas City in 1967.
The1989 World Series was known as the "Bay Bridge Series" and the "Battle of the Bay", as the Athletics and Giants played against each other, with the Athletics sweeping the Giants in a 4-game series.[13] However, the series is also known as the "Earthquake Series" because the1989 Loma Prieta earthquake struck on the day of Game 3.[14][15]
The Bay Area has hosted the1961,1984,1987, and2007 All Star Games.
TheGolden State Warriors returned to San Francisco beginning with the2019–20 NBA season when the newChase Center opened in the Mission Bay district. Originally, the Warriors played inPhiladelphia, but relocated to San Francisco in 1962 and then to Oakland in 1971. During their days in Oakland, the Warriors won fourNBA Finals (1975,[16]2015,2017,2018). Their first ever championship while based in the San Francisco limits came in2022.
The expansionGolden State Valkyries of theWNBA will begin play at Chase Center in 2025.
The Bay Area has hosted the1967,2000, and2025 NBA All-Star Games.
San Jose hosts theSan Jose Sharks of theNational Hockey League and play at theSAP Center at San Jose.[17] The Sharks began play in 1991, playing their first two seasons at theCow Palace before moving to their current home in 1993. They have beenPacific Division champions six times, as well as having won thePresidents' Trophy for the best regular season record in the league in2009, and theClarence S. Campbell Bowl as theWestern Conference champions in2016. Though the Sharks have yet to win aStanley Cup, they made their firstStanley Cup Finals appearance in2016. The Bay Area hosted the1997 and2019 All Star Games.
Before the Sharks, the Bay Area had theCalifornia Golden Seals, who had been previously named the California Seals and the Oakland Seals. The Seals came into existence in the1967 NHL expansion.[18] The Seals played at theOakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena (now Oracle Arena). The Seals later became theCleveland Barons in 1976 and then merged with theMinnesota North Stars in 1978 (who in turn later became theDallas Stars).[19] The Golden Seals/Barons franchise is notable as the last franchise in North America's four major leagues to permanently cease operations.
Beginning in 1996, theSan Jose Earthquakes, then known as the San Jose Clash, competed inMajor League Soccer, and became the Earthquakes in 1999. The Quakes wonMLS Cup 2001 against the Los Angeles Galaxy 2–1,[20] as well asMLS Cup 2003 against the Chicago Fire 4–2. The Quakes then moved to Houston in 2005, and became theHouston Dynamo,[21] but in afashion similar to theCleveland Browns move,[22] the Earthquakes name and history stayed in San Jose for a future team. In 2008, the current incarnation of the Earthquakes made its return[23] and subsequently played seven seasons atBuck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara. In March 2015, the Earthquakes opened Avaya Stadium, now known asPayPal Park, across fromSan Jose International Airport.[24] The Bay Area hosted the2016 MLS All-Star Game.
In April 2023, theNational Women's Soccer League, the top level of the women's game in the US, announced that it had awarded a new Bay Area franchise that began play in 2024.[25] The team revealed its identity asBay FC on June 1,[26] and announced on July 21 that it would play its home games at PayPal Park.[27]
The Bay Area was a host of the1994 FIFA World Cup and will also serve as one of eleven US hosts of the2026 FIFA World Cup.[28]
Stanford Stadium hosted a total of six matches during the1994 FIFA World Cup:
| Date | Time (UTC−7) | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 20, 1994 | 13:00 | Brazil  | 2–0 |  Russia | Group B | 81,061 |
| June 24, 1994 | 13:00 | 3–0 |  Cameroon | 83,401 | ||
| June 26, 1994 | 13:00 | Switzerland  | 0–2 |  Colombia | Group A | 83,401 |
| June 28, 1994 | 13:00 | Russia | 6–1 | Cameroon | Group B | 74,914 |
| July 4, 1994 | 12:35 | Brazil | 1–0 |  United States | Round of 16 | 84,147 |
| July 10, 1994 | 12:35 | Romania  | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (4–5pen.) |  Sweden | Quarter-final | 83,500 |
Levi's Stadium is one of 16 venues which will host matches during the2026 FIFA World Cup. It is one of eleven US venues for the tournament and is also one of two venues inCalifornia which will host matches, the other beingSoFi Stadium in theLos Angeles suburb ofInglewood. During the event, the stadium will be temporarily renamed to "San Francisco Bay Area Stadium" in accordance with FIFA's policy on corporate-sponsored names. The stadium will host six matches: five group stage matches and one Round of 32 match.[29]
| Date | Time (UTC−7) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 13, 2026 | --:-- | B3 | – | B4 | Group B | |
| June 16, 2026 | --:-- | TBD | – | TBD | Group J | |
| June 19, 2026 | --:-- | D4 | – | D2 | Group D | |
| June 22, 2026 | --:-- | TBD | – | TBD | Group J | |
| June 25, 2026 | --:-- | D2 | – | D3 | Group D | |
| July 1, 2026 | --:-- | Winner Group D | – | 3rd Group B/E/F/I/J | Round of 32 |
Oakland Athletics (MLB)[edit]4 World Series titles[i] San Francisco Giants (MLB)[edit]3 World Series titles[ii] San Francisco 49ers (NFL)[edit]5 Super Bowl titles | Oakland Raiders (NFL)[edit]2 Super Bowl titles[iii] Golden State Warriors (NBA)[edit]5 NBA Finals titles[iv] Oakland Oaks (ABA)[edit]1 ABA Finals title Oakland Clippers (NASL)[edit]1 NASL Final title San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)[edit]2 MLS Cup titles
|
| Team | Sport | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Ballers | Baseball | Minor League Baseball (Pioneer League) | Raimondi Park |
| East Bay Blazers | Cricket | Minor League Cricket | Morgan Hills Sports Complex |
| Silicon Valley Strikers | Cricket | Minor League Cricket | Morgan Hills Sports Complex |
| San Jose Barracuda | Ice hockey | American Hockey League | Tech CU Arena |
| Oakland Roots SC | Soccer | USL Championship | Oakland Coliseum |
| The Town FC | Soccer | MLS Next Pro | Saint Mary's Stadium |
| Bay Area Panthers | Indoor Football | Indoor Football League | SAP Center |
| San Jose Giants | Baseball | California League | San Jose Municipal Stadium |
| Sonoma Stompers | Baseball | Pacific Association | Arnold Field |
| Vallejo Admirals | Baseball | Pacific Association | Wilson Park |
| Napa Silverados | Baseball | Pacific Association | Napa Valley College Storm Field |
TheSan Jose Giants are aMinor League Baseball team in theCalifornia League. They've been a farm team of theSan Francisco Giants since 1988 and have played continuously since 1962 under several different names and affiliations. The San Jose Giants have developed more than 190 major league players, including current and formerSan Francisco Giants such asBuster Posey,Tim Lincecum,Matt Cain,Pablo Sandoval, andMadison Bumgarner.
TheOakland Ballers are aMinor League Baseball team in thePioneer League that was created in 2024 as a response to theOakland Athletics relocation to Las Vegas.
ThePacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs is anindependent baseball league with three teams in the northern and eastern parts of the Bay Area. The league is currently on hiatus due to the pandemic.[30]
In the Bay Area Collegiate League,Palo Alto is home to the Palo Alto Oaks, the oldest continuously operated, wood-bat, baseball team in the Bay Area. The Oaks played their inaugural season in 1950, making 2018 their 69th consecutive season of baseball. They are joined byseven other teams in the Bay Area: Alameda Merchants, Burlingame Bucks, San Carlos Salty Dogs, San Mateo Rounders, Solano Mudcats, Walnut Creek Crawdags, and the West Coast Kings.[31]
Amateur men'ssoccer has been played in San Francisco since 1902 through theSan Francisco Soccer Football League.[32] Over 40 teams in 4 divisions play throughout the city between March and November. Premier Division games are played at the 3,500-seatBoxer Stadium. Amateur women's soccer is played on over 30 teams in the Golden Gate Women's Soccer League.[33]
Supporter-ownedSan Francisco City FC, founded in 2001 as part of the SFSFL, has played inUSL League Two since 2016.
San Francisco Glens SC, commonly known as SF Glens, is an American soccer club based inSan Francisco that was founded in 1961. Their first team currently competes inUSL League Two.
Project 51O is a soccer club fromOakland, California, competing in the Southwest Division ofUSL League Two. They are the reserve club ofUSL Championship clubOakland Roots SC.
El Farolito is an amateursoccer club based out ofSan Francisco, California. It currently plays in theNational Premier Soccer League.
Napa Valley 1839 FC is a men'ssoccer club based inNapa, California. It competes in theNPSL Golden Gate Conference. The club's colors are green and white.
Sonoma County Sol is an Americansoccer team based inSanta Rosa, California, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in theNational Premier Soccer League
In 2015, the SharksAmerican Hockey League affiliate team, theWorcester Sharks, became theSan Jose Barracuda and share the SAP Center at San Jose until the 2021–2022 season. TheSan Jose Barracuda now play their home games at the sparkling newTech CU Arena next to theSan Jose Municipal Stadium and adjacent toSan Jose StateCEFCU Stadium.
TheSan Francisco Pro-Am Basketball League is an important summer league venue for aspiring players to be discovered by talent scouts.[citation needed] Games are held at the 4,000 seatKezar Pavilion. Players from all levels participate, with regular appearances by off season NBA professionals.[34]
San Francisco Rush played in the inaugural2016 PRO Rugby season atBoxer Stadium.[35] The club folded after one season. TheSan Francisco Golden Gate Rugby team competes in thePacific Rugby Premiership. Inrugby sevens, the Bay Area hosted the2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens atAT&T Park which saw over 100,000 in attendance over the three days of the tournament.[36]
TheSilicon Valley Strikers andBay Blazers are teams playing in the 2021 inaugural season ofMinor League Cricket.[37][38][39]
TheSan Francisco FlameThrowersUltimate (sport) team were founded in 2014 when theAmerican Ultimate Disc League (AUDL) expanded to the west coast.[40] In 2017, the Flamethrowers won the AUDL Championship game, with a final score of 30–29 over theToronto Rush. The FlameThrowers folded after the 2018 season, but maintained rights to the FlameThrower brand and hinted at a rebirth as a women's team.[41]
TheOakland Spiders ultimate team also joined the league in 2014 as the then San Jose Spiders. They won the league championship during their inaugural year and the following year in 2015.[42] They play home games at Foothill College Stadium.[43]
TheOakland Panthers of theIndoor Football League were set to begin play in 2020 atOakland Arena, looking to fill the hole left by theRaiders'departure, but the season was canceled by the onset of theCOVID-19 pandemic. The team also withdrew from the 2021 season, then moved to San Jose as theBay Area Panthers for 2022.
The Bay Area is also well represented in college sports. Six area universities are members ofNCAADivision I, the highest level of college sports in the country. Three havefootball teams and three do not. Bay Area Deportes is the only media outlet in San Francisco Bay Area to fully cover NCAA college sports in Spanish.
All three football-playing schools in the Bay Area are in theFootball Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of NCAAcollege football. TheCalifornia Golden Bears andStanford Cardinal compete in theAtlantic Coast Conference, and theSan Jose State Spartans compete in theMountain West Conference.[44] The Cardinal and Golden Bears are intense rivals, with their football teams competing annually in theBig Game for the Stanford Axe.[45] One of the most famous games in the rivalry is the 1982 edition, when theGolden Bears defeated theCardinal on a last-second kickoff return known as "The Play".[46]
The three non-football Division I programs in the Bay Area are theSan Francisco Dons, located in the city of San Francisco; theSaint Mary's Gaels, fromMoraga in theEast Bay; and theSanta Clara Broncos, located inSanta Clara. All three are charter members of theWest Coast Conference, and consider each othermajor rivals.
The following table shows the college teams in the Bay Area that average more than 2,000 attendance:
The Bay Area hosted the2013 America's Cup. The Bay Area has a leading and innovative alternative, outdoor andaction sports culture. Examples includemountain biking,Alcatraz triathlon,team handball (Olympic handball), skateboarding/Thrasher Magazine,CrossFit (Santa Cruz) and surfing at well known breaks such asSteamer Lane,Mavericks,Ocean Beach andBodega Bay.
TPC Stonebrae is a private golf club that hosts theTPC Stonebrae Championship, part of theKorn Ferry Tour since 2009.
SF CALHEAT[47] is aTeam Handball club which participates in tournaments across the nation at all levels
San Francisco Team Handball is the onlyteam handball club focused on youth (U14 / Middle School) and (U18 / High School), competing at local and international levels.
San Francisco Shock is an American professionalOverwatchesports team based inSan Francisco, California. The Shock compete in theOverwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's Pacific West Division. They are currently the 2-time Overwatch League Grand Finals Champions.
Founded in 2017, San Francisco Shock is one of the twelve founding members of the OWL and is one of three professionalOverwatch teams inCalifornia. The team is owned byAndy Miller, co-owner of theSacramento Kings andNRG Esports. In the upcoming season, the team will play their home matches atZellerbach Hall inBerkeley and theSan Jose Civic in downtownSan Jose.
TheLeague of Legends World Championship was held in 4 locations, one of them being held inSan Francisco, California, atChase Center.
With an ideal climate for outdoor activities, San Francisco has ample resources and opportunities for amateur and participatory sports and recreation. There are more than 200 miles (320 km) ofbicycle paths, lanes and bike routes in the city,[48] and theEmbarcadero andMarina Green are favored sites forskateboarding. Extensive public tennis facilities are available inGolden Gate Park andDolores Park, as well as at smaller neighborhood courts throughout the city. San Francisco residents have often ranked among the fittest in the U.S.[49]Golden Gate Park has miles of paved and unpaved running trails as well as agolf course anddisc golf course.
Boating, sailing,windsurfing andkitesurfing are among the popular activities on San Francisco Bay, and the city maintains a yacht harbor in theMarina District. TheSt. Francis Yacht Club andGolden Gate Yacht Club are located in the Marina Harbor.[50][51] The South Beach Yacht Club is located next to AT&T Park andPier 39 has an extensive marina.[52][53]
HistoricAquatic Park located along the northern San Francisco shore hosts two swimming and rowing clubs.[54][55] TheSouth End Rowing Club, established in 1873, and the Dolphin Club maintain a friendly rivalry between members. Swimmers can be seen daily braving the typically cold bay waters.[citation needed]
San Jose had a women's basketball team from 2005 to 2006 in theNational Women's Basketball League called theSan Jose Spiders.[56]
From 1995 to 2008, as well as between 2011 and 2015, the Bay had theSan Jose SaberCats of theArena Football League, who played at theSAP Center at San Jose.[17] The SaberCats won 3ArenaBowls (XVI,[57]XVIII,[58]XXI[59]), and lost in another (XXII[60]).
The Bay Area had aUnited Football League team in2009 named theCalifornia Redwoods, who played atAT&T Park[9] andSpartan Stadium, though the Redwoods moved toSacramento in 2010.[61]
For one season (1995–96), it was home to theSan Francisco Spiders of theInternational Hockey League.[62]
TheSan Francisco Bulls were founded as an expansion team in theECHL and began play in the 2012–13 season. The team was based at theCow Palace and was the farm team of theNHL'sSan Jose Sharks before folding mid-season on January 27, 2014.[63]
Before the existence of the currentSan Jose Earthquakes of MLS, a separateSan Jose Earthquakes played for theoriginal North American Soccer League,Major Indoor Soccer League, and theWestern Soccer Alliance.[64] After they folded, theSan Francisco Bay Blackhawks played for the WSA. Eventually, the Blawkhawks became the San Jose Hawks, and folded in 1993.
San Jose Grizzlies were a professional indoor soccer team based in San Jose, California. The team was founded in 1993 as a member of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. After playing in the 1994 and 1995 CISL seasons, the Grizzlies folded following the 1995 season. The team played at San Jose Arena.[65]
FC Gold Pride was a charter member ofWomen's Professional Soccer, playing alongside the Earthquakes in the league's inaugural2009 season before moving toHayward for2010. Led by Brazilian starMarta, the team had a championship season in 2010, but folded after the season.[66] WPS itself played only one more season before folding. The Bay Area did not receive franchise in WPS' effective successor, the currentNational Women's Soccer League, until the announcement of the future Bay FC in 2023.
San Francisco Deltas was a charter member of the secondNorth American Soccer League to play at theKezar Stadium in 2017. The Deltas beat the New York Cosmos 2–0 to win theSoccer Bowl 2017, but folded after the season.
| Stadium | City | Capacity | Type | Tenants | Opened | Closed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candlestick Park | San Francisco | 70,207 | Multi-purpose | San Francisco Giants San Francisco 49ers | 1960 | 2013 | Demolished |
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