California hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley Ski Resort, the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, as well as the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
California has nineteen major professional sports league franchises, far more than any other state. The San Francisco Bay Area has seven major league teams spread in three cities, San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. While the Greater Los Angeles Area is home to ten major league franchises, it is also the largest metropolitan area not to have a team from the National Football League. San Diego has two major league teams, and Sacramento has one.
Home to some of the most prominent universities in the United States, California has long had many respected collegiate sports programs. California home to the oldest college bowl game, the annual Rose Bowl, among others.
California has also long been a hub for motorsports and auto racing. The city of Long Beach holds an event every year in the month of April, which is host to IndyCar Series racing through the streets of downtown. Long Beach has hosted Formula One events there in the past, and also currently hosts an event on the American Le Mans Series schedule. Auto Club Speedway is a speedway in Fontana, and currently hosts one to two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races a year, and used to host CART Indycar races. Infineon Raceway in Sonoma is a multi-purpose facility, featuring a road course and a drag strip. The road course is home to a NASCAR event, an IndyCar event, and used to host an International Motor Sports Association sports car event. The drag strip hosts a yearly NHRA event. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a roadcourse that currently hosts an ALMS event, and formerly hosted CART events. The Auto Club Raceway at Pomona has hosted NHRA drag racing for over 50 years.
Below is a list of major sports teams in California:
| Club | Sport | League |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders | American football | National Football League |
| San Diego Chargers | American football | National Football League |
| San Francisco 49ers | American football | National Football League |
| Sacramento Mountain Lions | American football | United Football League |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | Baseball | Major League Baseball |
| Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Baseball | Major League Baseball |
| Oakland Athletics | Baseball | Major League Baseball |
| San Diego Padres | Baseball | Major League Baseball |
| San Francisco Giants | Baseball | Major League Baseball |
| Golden State Warriors | Basketball | National Basketball Association |
| Los Angeles Clippers | Basketball | National Basketball Association |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Basketball | National Basketball Association |
| Sacramento Kings | Basketball | National Basketball Association |
| Anaheim Ducks | Ice hockey | National Hockey League |
| Los Angeles Kings | Ice hockey | National Hockey League |
| San Jose Sharks | Ice hockey | National Hockey League |
| Chivas USA | Soccer | Major League Soccer |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | Soccer | Major League Soccer |
| San Jose Earthquakes | Soccer | Major League Soccer |
| Los Angeles Sparks | Basketball | Women's National Basketball Association |
| California Cougars | Soccer | Professional Arena Soccer League |
| FC Gold Pride | Soccer | Women's Professional Soccer |
| San Jose SaberCats | American football | Arena Football League |
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