Southern California Professional Sports Teams & Leagues

The major leagues for professional sports in the U.S. include Major League Baseball (MLB), National Football League (NFL), Major League Soccer (MLS), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL) and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Southern California hosts one or more teams in each of these leagues. For those visiting from faraway lands, here's a rundown of the major league season play dates as well as the SoCal teams...maybe you can work a game or two into your vacation. Your friends at home will be jealous if you bring home a giant foam finger. And if you don't know what that is, go to a game and ask the folks at the entrance, "hey, where can I buy a giant foam finger??"

Jump here to see a listing of professional sports venues by county.

Major League Baseball (MLB). The season begins in April and runs through October. American professional baseball games last about three hours. As a spectator, you should bring plenty of cash and be prepared to drink several beers, eat a few hot dogs and maybe some nachos too.

SoCal teams competing in the MLB include Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and San Diego Padres.

National Football League (NFL). NFL season runs from September through January. The big end-of-season event for the NFL is the Super Bowl, which is held at a different venue each year. Football games last about three hours. Football fans like to head to a sports bar on Monday nights with friends to watch the game. Look for bars that have "Monday Night Football" special happy hours.

The only NFL team in Southern California is the San Diego Chargers.

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Major League Soccer (MLS). The MLS season starts in March and ends in November. Soccer matches last roughly two hours. U.S. soccer fans aren't as wildly emotional about the game as their international counterparts, but the sport is growing in popularity.

The LA area has two MLS teams: Los Angeles Galaxy (aka David Beckham's team) and the Chivas USA.

National Basketball Association (NBA). NBA teams start playing in November and those who make the playoffs don't finish up until June. The LA area has a huge fan base, so it can be tough to obtain tickets. Games last about three hours.

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers both play in the NBA.

National Hockey League (NHL). The NHL season is the same as that of the NBA, from November to June. Expect a game to last about two and a half hours.

SoCal's two NHL teams are the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks.

Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). WNBA teams play from May to September. The women don't dunk, but they still know how to play and put on a good show. Tickets are generally priced right, making the WNBA games a great value, particularly for families.

The Los Angeles Sparks play in the WNBA.

Southern California Professional Sports Venues

These are the venues where you can find professional sporting events, listed by county:

Los Angeles County

Dodger Stadium
MLB: LA Dodgers
1000 Elysian Park Avenue
Los Angeles

Home Depot Center
MLS: LA Galaxy, Chivas USA
18400 Avalon Boulevard
Carson

Staples Center
NBA: LA Lakers, LA Clippers
NHL: LA Kings
WNBA: LA Sparks
1111 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles

Orange County

Angel Stadium
MLB: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2000 Gene Autry Way
Anaheim

Honda Center
NHL: Anaheim Ducks
2695 East Katella Avenue
Anaheim

San Diego County

PETCO Park
MLB: San Diego Padres
100 Park Boulevard
San Diego

Qualcomm Stadium
NFL: San Diego Chargers
9449 Friars Road
San Diego

Here's a short-and-sweet list of tips and pointers to help you pick which beach you'd like to see during your Southern California vacation.

Surfing is really popular in Southern California. If you'd like to hop on a board or just watch someone else do it, look into Tourmaline Surfing Park at Pacific Beach, Windansea Beach in La Jolla, Trestles Beach in San Onofre, San Clemente State Beach or Rincon at the border of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.

Black's Beach in La Jolla is for those who are free at heart and don't need a suit (or any clothes at all) to enjoy a day in the sunshine.

Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach is a popular bonfire spot. Just get there early to mark your territory.

Long Beach is protected by breakwater, which means no waves. Bad for surfing, but great for kids wearing floaties.

Manhattan Beach is a people-watching beach. Seemingly wealthy and obviously beautiful people tend to be seen at Manhattan Beach, along with the folks who like to hang around those seemingly wealthy, obviously beautiful people. The beach is walking distance to restaurants and shops.

Venice Beach is a must-see for Southern California visitors.On the weekends, the Venice Boardwalk comes alive with street performers, vendors, musicians and political activists. And then there are the body builders of Muscle Beach and the beachgoers cruising around showing off their tans.

Zuma Beach in Malibu is a great destination for California visitors--lots of sand, good waves and frequent dolphin sightings.

Camping can be had at public campgrounds up and down the coast. If you're into pitching a tent near the waves, here's a good list to check out. You can search for a campsite on the California State Parks website.

Some beaches in Southern California are locally world-famous for being 'hang-out' beaches. Picture barefoot, suit-clad guys and girls jaywalking to the smoothee place across the street from the sand. Beaches within walking distance to casual restaurants and/or shops include Seal Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Venice Beach and San Diego's Mission Beach.