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California Golden Bears Team News and History

The California Golden Bears football program represents the University of California, Berkeley, as a member of the Pac-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium and is currently coached by Justin Wilcox.

Since beginning to play in 1886, the team has won five NCAA recognized national titles – 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1937 – and 14 conference championships, the last in 2006. It has also produced what is considered to be two of the oldest and most memorable plays in college football: Roy “Wrong Way” Riegels’ fumble recovery at the 1929 Rose Bowl and The Play kickoff return in 1982 Big Game.

The 1980s saw a return to mediocrity, with Cal posting only one winning season in the entire decade. The team was coached by Cal’s former quarterback Joe Kapp and is most known for what happened in the annual Big Game against Stanford, which became known as The Play.

Led by quarterback John Elway, Stanford made a field goal with only four seconds left in the game, resulting in the Cardinal taking a one-point lead. In the ensuing kickoff return, Cal used five laterals to score a touchdown and turn certain defeat into a 25–20 victory. The Play is considered to be one of the most memorable moments in college football history.

California Golden Bears Standings

The California Golden Bears have a proud history in the NCAAF and are known for their talented players and innovative coaching strategies. Their current stats show that they have a high-scoring offense and a defense that can hold its own. In the current standings, the Golden Bears are near the top of the conference, showing their dominance and ability to compete at the highest level.

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Recent California Bears History

Since 1959, the Cal Bears have been part of the Pac 12 conference holding a current 680–551–51 (.550) record. It’s been a very long time since the Golden Bears of California have held the title. In recent years, at the end of 2012, Sonny Dykes was announced as the new head coach.

Over his four years at Cal, Dykes failed to have a single winning season within the conference. Quarterback Jared Goff can be considered one of the few positive highlights of that period. In his three years under Dykes’ Air Raid, he set 26 team records, including most season and career touchdowns, pass yardage gained, as well as the lowest percentage of interceptions.

2017 was Cal’s first year under Justin Wilcox, whose defensive-minded approach could be considered a polar opposite of Dykes. That year the Bears had a losing season; however, they could beat No. 8 Washington State 37–3. In 2018, the Bears went 7–6, with Wilcox’s defense being ranked No.15 in the nation in total yards allowed. The highlight of the season was defeating USC for the first time since 2003.

Key Players in Cal Bears History

Even though the California Bears have not reached a Rose Bowl in over 50 years, they have had their fair share of astonishing players. Consistency might not be this team’s mantra, but year in and year out, Cal fans delight in watching one of their own mature and rise among the ranks in the Pac-12.

Elite Players such as The tight end and former Bear will undoubtedly be headed to Canton after he retires. Another Player who also rose to fame is DeSean Jackson, arguably the most explosive wide receiver in the history of Cal football. Jackson was torrid for the Bears, scoring 28 touchdowns in just 36 career games. He was also a nightmare for opposing secondaries, as he had a consecutive streak of 28 games with at least one reception.

In 2007, Jackson earned first-team All-American honors as a receiver and helped lead Cal to win Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles selected him with the 49th pick in the 2008 NFL draft. The most esteemed Cal Bear in the last ten years, Aaron Rodgers put Berkeley on the brink of the Rose Bowl before Mack Brown, and the Longhorns stole the spot and pushed Cal to the Holiday Bowl.

After being selected by the Green Bay Packers with the 24th pick in the 2005 NFL draft, Rodgers sat behind Brett Favre for a few years before entering the NFL limelight. Rodgers led the Pack to a championship over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV and was voted AP NFL MVP in 2011.

Key Cal Bear Championships

California has participated in 24 bowl games, achieving a record of 12–11–1. California won five national championships from 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1937 and 14 conference championships, the last in 2006. Cal’s last Rose Bowl appearance was in 1958 when Pete Elliott coached the team.

California went 6–1 in the PCC but lost the 1959 Rose Bowl to Iowa, 38 -12. That year’s team was led by Joe Kapp, who is considered one of the greatest players in Cal history. 

Completely dedicated to his team and his university, he pushed his teammates to perform beyond their limits and fiercely intimidate his opponents. He would lead the team again in 1982 when he accepted the head coaching job at the university.

The Pac-12 Conference Outlook

The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference operating in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division I-A), the nation’s highest level of college football.

The conference’s 1990 members are located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington. Each state’s flagship public university, four other public universities, and two private research universities.

Nicknamed the “Conference of Champions,” the Pac-12 has won more NCAA national championships in team sports than any other conference in history. The top three schools with the most NCAA team championships are members of the Pac-12: Stanford, UCLA, and USC.

Cal Bears Coaching History

Dating back to 1886, Cal Bears have had 34 coaches. 1916 was the first year of the Pacific Coast Conference, which consisted of Cal, Washington, Oregon, and Oregon Agricultural (which would later become Oregon State). It was also when Andy Smith, former coach of Purdue, became Cal’s head coach.

In 1947, former Northwestern coach Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf became the new head coach of Cal. During his first season, the Bears went 9–1, with their only loss coming from conference champs – USC. Known as “Pappy’s Boys,” the Cal teams of 1947-1950 won 33 consecutive regular-season games, earning three PCC championships and three Rose Bowl berths. However, California lost all three Rose Bowls: 20–14 to Northwestern in 1949, 17–14 to Ohio State in 1950, and 14–6 to Michigan in 1951.

From 1964 to 1971, the team was led by head coach Ray Willsey, who had a losing career, but it was under him that Cal had one of the sternest defenses in its modern history. In the 1970s, Cal had seven winning seasons. In 1975, the team was led by coach Mike White, running back Chuck Muncie, and quarterback Joe Roth. The team led the nation in total offense, sharing the Pac-8 title with UCLA.

The 1980s saw a return to mediocrity, with Cal posting only one winning season in the entire decade. The team was coached by Cal’s former quarterback Joe Kapp and is most known for what happened in the annual Big Game against Stanford, which became known as The Play, led by quarterback John Elway.

Fast forward to the 21st century, when California began a renaissance under Jeff Tedford, who became head coach in 2002. Under him, the Golden Bears posted eight consecutive winning seasons, a feat that had not been accomplished since the days of Pappy Waldorf.


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California Golden Bears FAQ’s

How many national titles do the California Bears have?

The Bears currently have five national titles from 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1937.

Who are some notable players that played for the Bears who moved on to fame?

Tony Gonzalez, who only trails Jerry Rice for most career receptions in NFL history, is one notable player. Aaron Rodgers, the most esteemed Cal Bear, now plays for the Green Bay Packers and put Berkeley on the brink of the Rose Bowl before Mack Brown in the last ten years.

Who is the biggest rival of the California Bears?

The cross-town rivals are both Stanford and UCLA.

In what conference does the California Bears play?

The California Bears are in the Pac-12 Conference.

How many coaches have been part of the California Bears History?

Thirty-four coaches have coached the Bears, with the most recent coach being Justin Wilcox.

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