San Diego’s professional sports teams keep finding their way north.
For the third time in recent years, a professional team is leaving Pechanga Arena for North County. The San Diego Seals announced Friday that they will play their home games at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside beginning with the 2026-27 National Lacrosse League season.
The Seals follow the San Diego Sockers and San Diego Strike Force, both of whom have moved their home games from Pechanga Arena to Frontwave. The Sockers made the move when the Oceanside arena opened in 2024, ending their decades-long run at the Midway venue. The Strike Force followed in 2025.
“It’s just amazing thinking about playing in Pechanga Arena in front of about 75 people,” Strike Force head coach Taylor Genuser told The Coast News after a playoff win this season. Genuser was the team’s offensive coordinator when the Strike Force began play at Pechanga Arena in 2019.
Earlier this month, nearly 4,300 fans filled Frontwave Arena for the Strike Force’s first home playoff victory in franchise history, a 54-47 win over the Tucson Sugar Skulls that sent San Diego to the Indoor Football League’s Western Conference Championship.
The Seals averaged 6,616 fans per game last season and reached the NLL semifinals. The team said the move will help it connect with more fans in North San Diego County, which it identified as a strong youth and high school lacrosse market.
The Oceanside location also gives the Seals an opportunity to draw from Southern Orange County and the Inland Empire.
“Frontwave is a first-class, intimate venue that brings fans closer to the action than ever before,” Seals CEO Paul Speaker said in a news release. “Every seat feels like you are right on top of the floor, creating the kind of electric, high-energy environment that makes Seals games so special.”
Frontwave is also home to the San Diego Clippers of the NBA G League. The Oceanside Shock and Oceanside Stealth play there as well.
Phil Salvagio, owner of Frontwave Arena, said the Seals’ arrival will help introduce professional lacrosse to more fans throughout North County and the surrounding region.
The Seals have won 70 of their 120 regular-season games since beginning play ahead of the 2018-19 season. Excluding the two seasons shortened or canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have made the NLL playoffs after each of their six full seasons.
The roster includes Wes Berg, Tre LeClaire, Trevor Baptiste, Zach Currier and Chris Origlieri.
Seals coach and general manager Patrick Merrill said the new venue should give the team an advantage once the season begins.
“With the fans being so close to the action, it’s going to have amazing energy on game nights and create a tremendous home-field advantage for our players,” Merrill said.
The Seals are working with existing season-ticket members to transition their memberships to Frontwave. New season-ticket deposits are also being accepted.
The 2026-27 NLL schedule is expected to be announced next month. Ticket and parking prices will be announced later.
