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California Berkeley Golden Bears: Bay Area Football & Basketball
Catch a California Berkeley Golden Bears football or basketball game during your stay. Both teams play their home games just across the bay from San Francisco.
The Cal Bears are in the Atlantic Coast Conference as of July 1, 2024. They used to be part of the Pac-12, but that conference has dismantled. Their opponents include both their old Pac-12 rivals as well as schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Read on for details on their home schedules, tips to attend a game, and ticketing information.
Disclaimer: I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.
California Berkeley Golden Bears Football
The California Berkeley Golden Bears football team plays at Memorial Stadium. Their season runs from late August to December.
2024 Schedule
Here is the schedule of home games for the 2024 football season.
9/14: San Diego State Aztecs
10/5: Miami Hurricanes
10/19: North Carolina State Wolfpack
10/26: Oregon State Beavers
11/16: Syracuse Orange, find tickets
11/23: Stanford Cardinal, find tickets
The Big Game
One of the Bears' biggest games every year is against Stanford. These two Bay Area college teams are fierce rivals, and the game always draws a large audience.
This year's Big Game is Saturday, November 23, 2024 at Berkeley. I recommend picking up tickets as early as possible because this game sells out well in advance.
>> Find tickets to the Big Game
Tickets
You will find tickets for California Berkeley Golden Bears football games on Ticketmaster. This is the best place to look for early season games and those that probably won't sell out.
Click here to find tickets on Ticketmaster.
If you are looking for tickets to the Big Game or for other popular games, you will probably need to look on TicketLiquidator.
This is where you can find tickets to sold-out games from people who are not able to go.
Click here to check out the selection of tickets on TicketLiquidator.
Basketball
The California Berkeley Golden Bears basketball team plays at Haas Pavilion. Their regular season runs from October to February.
2024-2025 Home Schedule
These are the home basketball games for the California Berkeley Golden Bears men's team. All games are at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley.
Monday, 11/4: CSU Bakersfield
Thursday, 11/7: Cal Poly
Thursday, 11/21: Air Force
Sunday, 11/24: Sacramento State
Wednesday, 11/27: Mercyhurst
Saturday, 12/7: Stanford
Tuesday, 12/10: Cornell
Saturday, 12/14: Northwestern State
Wednesday, 1/8: Virginia
Saturday, 1/11: Virginia Tech
Wednesday, 1/22: Florida State
Saturday, 1/25: Miami
Saturday, 2/1: Syracuse
Wednesday, 2/5: NC State
Saturday, 2/8: Wake Forest
Wednesday, 2/26: SMU
Saturday, 3/1: Boston College
Tickets
The first place I recommend looking for California Berkeley Golden Bears basketball tickets is on TicketLiquidator. You can find tickets to sold-out games or better seats than what may be offered on the official site.
Top Hotels Near the University
If you want to stay near the games, you will find a variety of great options nearby. Three of the closest and best places to stay include:
- Berkeley City Club: 2315 Durant Avenue, 2.5-Star Hotel, find a room
- Hotel Shattuck Plaza: 2086 Allston Way, 4-Star Hotel, find a room
- Graduate Berkeley: 2600 Durant Avenue, 3.5-Star Hotel, find a room
You will also find several just outside of downtown. Many of the top options are near University Avenue on the western side of campus. Click here to read recent guest reviews and to book your hotel
Tips to Get to Berkeley
It's easy to get to all of the California Berkeley Golden Bears games from anywhere in the Bay Area.
BART and Public Transit
If you can, I recommend taking public transit. BART (the Bay Area Rapid Transit system) offers an easy way to get to all of the games. You will want to exit BART at the Downtown Berkeley Station and head east toward campus.
The walk to Memorial Stadium from this station is about one mile. However, this area is a haven for great places to stop along the way for something to eat or drink. You can also hop on the local bus, or use the Uber or Lyft app, to easily get from the train station closer to the stadium.
The walk to Haas Pavilion for basketball games is less than half a mile.
In both cases, just follow the crowd when you arrive and you will easily find the game.
Driving & Parking
If you plan to drive, make sure you arrive early to get a spot nearby. There are a few lots near each facility, but they fill up quickly.
You can also find a few garages downtown, but they often increase their prices and fill up quickly as well.
About Cal Bears Football
One of the oldest college rivalries in the U.S. takes center stage each year at the 'Big Game' against Stanford. The 1982 edition produced one of the most famous college football plays ever--now simply referred to as 'The Play'--in which the California Berkeley Golden Bears had to run through the Stanford band, already celebrating on the field, in order to score the winning touchdown.
Memorial Stadium is an impressive place to watch a game along with 63,000 screaming fans. It was modeled after the Colosseum in Rome, and built to honor UC Berkeley alumni and students who gave their lives to WWI.
The Golden Bears have played in 8 Rose Bowls, with 2 wins, 6 losses and 1 tie. They have won a total of 11 out of 22 Bowl Games. This team has produced many NFL stars, including Aaron Rodgers, Marshawn Lynch, and DeSean Jackson.
As of July 1, 2024, they moved from the Pac-12 over to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
About Cal Bears Basketball
Men's basketball at Cal has been a tradition since 1915. The team experienced great success in the early years under the leadership of coach Nibs Price from 1924 - 1954, then reaching its pinnacle with coach Pete Newell, who led the Bears to their only NCAA title to date in 1959.
Apart from winning the 1959 national championship, the California Golden Bears reached the Final Four in 1946 and 1960, and have made a total of 19 NCAA Tournament appearances. The team held the Pac-10 conference championship as recently as 2009.
Famous former players include Jason Kidd (an NBA All-Star and current head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks), Kevin Johnson (also an NBA All-Star and current mayor of California's capital), and Darrall Imhoff (who spent 12 seasons in the NBA with the Knicks, Lakers, and other teams).
On July 1, 2024, they moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Pac-12 was dismantled and they ended up in a conference mainly based on the east coast. They will play a combination of old, familiar Pac-12 schools as well as schools in their new conference.
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
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