The state's active lifestyle makes it a natural home for elite-level teams and athletes; the abundance of spectator experiences is a sports fan's dream

One of the first things that comes to mind when people think of California is the healthy, active lifestyle that defines so much of state, whether you're talking about food, fashion or outdoor activities. So it should come as no surprise that California has home court advantage when it comes to an abundance of opportunities for you to experience a wide range of professional and collegiate-level sports.  The incredible constellation of star athletes and teams here makes California a sporting paradise without equal. The numbers say it all: with 20 pro teams across the state – far more than anywhere else in the country – California dominates the field, court, track and rink with something for every fan, no matter what their passion is.

The Teams

Whether a ball is batted, bounced, kicked, thrown or volleyed, a puck slapped or a throttle punched, from red-line motorsports to baseline jumpshots, it all happens in California. Sure the team sports numbers are impressive: four NBA basketball teams, three NFL football teams, five MLB baseball teams, three NHL hockey teams, three MLS soccer teams and the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. But the really remarkable thing about spectator sports in the Golden State isn't just the amount, but the quality of the teams that makes the games such a draw for locals and visitors alike. California teams including the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks have racked up an impressive amount of World Championships, pennants and league titles.

It's also worth noting that the state has hosted some of the most prestigious sporting events in the world, including the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl, multiple World Series games, the PGA US Open and sailing's America's Cup, which returned to California for the fourth time in summer 2013.

The Players

When you think of the athletes who have made a name for themselves playing for California teams, they comprise a roster of stellar proportions that could rival anything found in a Hall of Fame. Indeed, many of them have received their sport's highest honors. (The San Francisco 49ers alone have 14 members of the team represented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame). Their names stretch back decades, including all-stars like Sandy Koufax, Willie Mays, Reggie Jackson, Wayne Gretzky, Joe Montana, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Chuck Muncie, to the current crop of mega-stars such as Kobe Bryant, Albert Pujols and Patrick Willis.

The Venues

Over the years, spectators have been consistently wowed by the spectacular natural settings at sporting events such as the Amgen Tour of California and America's Cup races in San Diego and San Francisco Bay. But the state that Hollywood calls home definitely knows how to put on a show and design man-made venues that add to the excitement and comfort of the fans' experience. From San Francisco Bay to the skyscrapers of Downtown LA, you'll find spectacular venues such as LA's Staples Center and San Francisco's AT&T Park, with features such as luxury sky boxes, unobstructed field and city views and state-of-the-art amenities including giant LED screen video walls, WiFi networks and special play areas for children.

Other Sports

In addition to major team and individual sports, California with it's free-wheeling spirit is the perfect place to experience a year-round selection of alternative sports from mountain bike races to pro snowboarding and surfing. Competitions span the state and seasons ranging from the snow-capped Sierras of Mammoth Mountain to the big waves of Santa Cruz County. Here's a sampling of some high-octane spectator experiences:

• Mammoth Mountain is the official Training Ground for US Olympic Alpine, freeskiing and snowboard training; pro snowboarders and skiers also regularly hit the slopes of North and South Lake Tahoe to stay in top form
• AVP Pro Beach Volleyball in Santa Barbara
• US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach and Maverick's Invitational in Half Moon Bay
• BNP Paribas Open professional tennis extravaganza in Indian Wells
• AutoClub Speedway in Fontana hosts NASCAR and IndyCar racing

Collegiate Sports

Besides their outstanding academic records, universities such as the University of California at Berkeley (Cal), Stanford, USC and UCLA have statistics as impressive on the field as in the classroom. California's major universities field teams in all major sports (Cal fields 29 men's and women's varsity teams) including football, basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer, crew and others. Another outstanding feature of collegiate sports in California is the element of classic bowl games like Pasadena's Rose Bowl and long-standing cross-town rivalries such as the storied competitions between USC and UCLA.