California State Games

What California State Games does

California State Games (CSG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1988 and headquartered in San Diego, California, that operates the largest amateur multi-sport festival in the state. The organization hosts two annual event series: a Summer Games featuring 19 Olympic-style sports (archery, basketball, wrestling, track and field, surfing, skateboarding, and others) drawing approximately 10,000 athletes, and a Winter Games with three sports (ice hockey, figure skating, gymnastics) drawing approximately 2,600 athletes. CSG is a community-based member of the United States Olympic Committee and a member of the National Congress of State Games, providing athletes with a sanctioned pathway to the State Games of America national championship. Following the 2023 retirement of founding Executive Director Sandi Hill, CSG has been managed by Sports San Diego, a nonprofit sports commission that also produces the Trust and Will Holiday Bowl and the Rady Children's Invitational.

The organization's product surface consists of the Summer Games, Winter Games, Olympic-style Opening Ceremonies at UCSD LionTree Arena, individual sport competitions sanctioned by national governing bodies (USA Hockey, USAG, USFSA, ISI, USATF), and supporting programs including a vendor program, hotel discount program, and a military discount program underwritten by presenting sponsor National University. Revenue is generated through athlete registration fees, spectator ticket sales, presenting sponsorships (National University and Kaiser Permanente), vendor fees, and Tourism Marketing District funding. Entry fees range from $25 for youth track and field to $75 at-door for wrestling, with a complimentary entry program offering up to 250 free registrations to active-duty military members and dependents.

Operationally, CSG runs on a lean staff of approximately five employees and relies on a network of third-party SaaS platforms for its technology stack: EventConnect and Athletic.net for registration, AXS and Stripe for ticketing and payments, Constant Contact for email marketing, Smart Waiver for liability waivers, GovX for military verification, and Google Analytics for web analytics. The organization's brand and competitive positioning rest on its 38-year operating history, its alumni network that includes Olympians and professional athletes across major U.S. leagues, and its institutional affiliation with the Olympic movement through USOC membership and national governing body sanctioning.

Name

California State Games

Legal name

California State Games

Website

https://calstategames.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

California State Games is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1988 that operates California's largest amateur multi-sport festival, hosting Summer and Winter Olympic-style competitions for approximately 12,600 athletes annually across 22 sports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Amateur Sports Events

NAICS

Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKADAK

Regional Multi-Sport Games & Festival Organizers

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Event & Tournament Organizers (Tours, Championships, Meets)

SECONDARYMPAKACAL

Amateur Event & Tournament Organizers (Meets, Invitationals, Opens)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

SECONDARYMPAKAKAC

Sports Event Promotion & Tournament Operations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Management & Promotion Services

SECONDARYMPAGAMAF

Youth & Amateur Sports Tournaments

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Live Sports Events

Keywords

• Amateur sports festival
• Multi-sport competition
• Olympic-style games
• Youth athletics events
• Amateur sports competition

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Athlete Registration Fees: Revenue generated from individual and team sport registration fees paid by athletes participating in the Games.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Presenting sponsorships from organizations like National University and Kaiser Permanente provide significant funding and in-kind support for the Games.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

California State Games (CSG) organizes and operates Olympic-style multi-sport amateur athletic festivals in San Diego, California, including a Summer Games featuring 19 sports and a Winter Games featuring 3 sports. The organization hosts individual and team competitions across disciplines such as archery, basketball, wrestling, track & field, gymnastics, ice hockey, and figure skating, serving approximately 10,000 athletes annually. Core offerings include athlete registration, sanctioned sport competitions, Opening Ceremonies, vendor programs, and military/hotel discount partnerships.

Product overview

California State Games is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization operating as the largest amateur sports festival in California, hosting Olympic-style multi-sport events since 1988. The organization offers two primary event series: the Summer Games (featuring 19 sports including archery, basketball, wrestling, track & field, and new additions like flag football and squash) and the Winter Games (featuring ice hockey, figure skating, and gymnastics). Key offerings include Opening Ceremonies with Olympic-style traditions, vendor programs, military discount partnerships with National University, and hotel discount programs. The Games serve approximately 10,000 athletes annually and are managed by Sports San Diego as a community-based member of the United States Olympic Committee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• California State Summer Games
• California State Winter Games
• Opening Ceremonies
• Military Discount Program
• Hotel Discount Program

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Sports San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Assumed management of California State Games in 2023 following retirement of founding Executive Director Sandi Hill. Sports San Diego is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) sports commission that also produces the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl and Rady Children's Invitational.
• National UniversitycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of California State Games. National University provides up to 250 complimentary individual sports registrations for active-duty military members and their dependents. As a Veteran-founded nonprofit and San Diego's largest private nonprofit university, National University has supported CSG for multiple years.
• San Diego GullsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongtime partner hosting the annual Torch Lighting Ceremony for ice hockey tournament at Pechanga Arena. Host Gulls Global Games Night with tailgate events during Winter Games. Partnership includes exclusive invites to games and community engagement activities.
• Kaiser PermanentemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of Opening Ceremonies. Supports the Olympic-style ceremony featuring Parade of Athletes, live entertainment, and ceremonial torch lighting at UCSD LionTree Arena.
• San Diego Tourism Marketing DistrictsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides funding through Tourism Marketing District assessment funds. Supports hotel partnerships and tourism promotion for the Games.
• National Congress of State GamescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial association of State Games organizations nationwide. CSG participates in State Games of America competitions where medalists qualify for national multi-sport events.
• United States Olympic CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSG is a community-based member of the USOC, providing legitimacy and connection to the Olympic movement.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• USA Track & Field (USATF): National governing body that sanctions amateur track & field meets, including CSG's USATF-sanctioned meet at UCSD. Broad incumbent with overlapping athlete base in one of CSG's flagship sports; provides sanctioning partnership and baseline event ecosystem reference.
• Special Olympics: Global and US national organization hosting multi-sport amateur competitions for athletes with intellectual disabilities. While narrower in mission than CSG, it is a sizable adjacent amateur-sports operator with comparable festival-style event formats.
• USA Hockey: National governing body for amateur ice hockey in the US, sanctioning CSG's Winter Games ice hockey tournament. Comparable as a national amateur sports operator with youth athlete development pipelines similar to one of CSG's core winter offerings.
• Amateur Athletic Union (AAU): One of the largest multi-sport amateur organizations in the US, sanctioning youth and adult competitions across dozens of sports nationwide. Compared to CSG's regional festival model, AAU operates a broader national tournament portfolio with overlapping athlete demographics.

Direct peers

• National Congress of State Games: Umbrella association for State Games programs nationwide; CSG is an active member and has hosted State Games of America. Directly comparable as a federation of multi-sport amateur festivals of which California State Games is one of the most established members.
• Texas Amateur Athletic Federation (TAAF): Texas-based amateur sports organization that produces the TAAF State Games with multi-sport Olympic-style competition in Summer and Winter formats. Closely analogous scope, sport breadth, and amateur athlete mission to California State Games.
• Sunshine State Games: Florida's Olympic-style amateur sports festival operated under the Florida Sports Foundation. Comparable to CSG as a state-level multi-sport amateur festival using registration fees, sponsorship, and ticket revenue to stage summer and winter competitions.
• Empire State Games: New York's multi-sport amateur athletic competition organized at the state level under the NCSG umbrella. Directly comparable festival-style format targeting youth through masters athletes across multiple Olympic-style sports.
• Keystone State Games: Pennsylvania's multi-sport amateur sports festival and the operator of State Games of America; CSG explicitly links to Keystone Games on its website. Directly comparable in scale, structure, and Olympic-style format with hosted State Games of America events.
• Iowa Games: Iowa's premier Olympic-style amateur sports festival, also a National Congress of State Games member. Closely analogous operating model to California State Games with summer multi-sport competitions, statewide reach, and reliance on registration fees plus sponsorships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CalStateGames
• Facebookfacebook.com/calstategames
• Instagraminstagram.com/calstategames
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-state-games

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California State Games