New Golf Tournament, Desert Athletic Conference and Lakers Sold Again

The Coachella Valley sports scene is adding plenty of new storylines this fall, from professional golf to high school football and a major change at the top of the Los Angeles Lakers organization.

A new tournament is joining the Coachella Valley golf circuit as the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour, or APGA Tour, heads to Rancho Mirage in September.

The APGA Farmers Insurance Fall Series event will take place September 14 through 16 at Mission Hills Country Club on the Pete Dye Challenge Course.

The tournament is one of three new events added to the APGA Tour this season and will be open to any professional men's golfer, including players who do not have 2026 APGA Tour membership.

Now in its sixth year, the APGA Farmers Insurance Fall Series was created to provide professional golfers with additional opportunities to develop their careers through more tournament experience and earning opportunities.

Meanwhile, a new era is beginning for Coachella Valley high school football with the debut of the Desert Athletic Conference later this month.

The conference will feature 14 teams from three existing leagues: the Desert Empire League, Desert Valley League and Sun Valley League.

The Desert Empire League will remain unchanged with Palm Desert, Palm Springs, La Quinta, Xavier Prep, Shadow Hills and Rancho Mirage.

The Desert Valley League will feature Coachella Valley, Desert Hot Springs, Yucca Valley and Banning.

The Sun Valley League will include Indio, Desert Mirage, Cathedral City and 29 Palms.

Four of the 14 teams have changed leagues within the new conference, setting the stage for a fresh look at Coachella Valley high school football this season.

And on the national sports front, the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly being sold for a staggering $12.5 billion.

The buyers are former Disney CEO Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law. The two confirmed the deal in a statement Wednesday, saying they were deeply honored by the opportunity to take over the iconic franchise.

The deal still needs approval from the NBA's Board of Governors.

For the Coachella Valley Lakers, however, the expectation is that it will be business as usual for now.

Sports reporter Fred Roggin says the ownership change is unlikely to have an immediate impact on the Coachella Valley Lakers.

With the new ownership group needing time to take control, the Coachella Valley Lakers are expected to begin their season this November with 24 home games on the schedule.

For now, fans in the desert can look forward to a busy fall featuring a new professional golf tournament, a revamped high school football conference and another season of Coachella Valley Lakers basketball.