Cal Athletics: Top Stories of 2024

The Golden Bears and their fans created one nearly perfect day in front of the nation

ESPN's College GameDay / Jeff Faraudo

A year unlike any other, 2024 sent Cal into a new conference and provided highs and disappointments. Golden Bears excelled at the Paris Olympics while the men’s and women’s basketball teams took steps forward while preparing to join the ACC.

Cal’s football team made a bowl game and lost a quarterback. Its star running back never was healthy enough to author an encore to his brilliant 2023 campaign.

And on one fall day, beginning and ending in darkness, the Cal football community delivered a day that ESPN labeled as “unbelievable.”

Here are our Top-15 Cal stories of 2024: 

1. An Almost Perfect Day

Fueled by a passionate online campaign spearheaded by the creative Calgorithm crowd, ESPN hosted its popular College GameDay program at Berkeley for the first time ever. The network set up shop at Memorial Glade in front of the Doe Library in the early hours of Oct. 5, prior to the Bears’ game that night vs. unbeaten No. 8 Miami.

Cal fans left the ESPN crew stunned, more than 3,000 of them showing up in the darkness to take in the show. “It’s been awesome,” analyst Kirk Herbstreit said. “I didn’t know what to expect when we came here. This is an amazing atmosphere.”

ESPN panelist Pat McAfee won the crowd by leading the “Bear Territory” chant and former Cal star Marshawn Lynch arrived at the set piloting an injury cart, re-enacting his postgame celebration following a 2006 win over Washington.

Fans kept momentum strong 12 hours later, giving Cal its first home sellout of a non-Big Game in eight years. Only the Bears’ late-game collapse against Miami, blowing a 35-10 lead in a 39-38 defeat, marred an otherwise  peerless day.

Two months later, Herbstreit gave Cal a “Herbie Award” for hosting the season’s best GameDay showing. “Unbelievable,” he said. “The best scene of the year by far."

Fernando Mendoza celebrates Cal's win at Auburn / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

2. The Rise and Departure of Fernando Mendoza

Fernando Mendoza, who faced competition throughout fall camp before securing the No. 1 quarterback job, grew into the team’s emotional leader while passing for more than 3,000 yards. He led a 98-yard touchdown drive in the final minutes to claim a 24-21 victory over Stanford, then gave a tearful TV interview after the Bears secured bowl eligibility with a fourth straight win in the Big Game.

But the redshirt sophomore, who a year earlier promised Cal fans, “The greenest pasture is here,” ultimately couldn’t resist the transfer portal. He exited prior to the Bears’ 24-13 loss to UNLV at the LA Bowl and since has enrolled at Indiana. Cal will need to a find a new QB for 2025.

Mark Madsen / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

3. Mark Madsen Begins Revival of Cal Hoops  

On the heels of a 3-29 record in 2022-23 — the worst in more than a century of Cal basketball — new coach Mark Madsen energized fans and guided the Bears to 13 wins, including a 9-11 ledger in the final season of Pac-12 play.

Guard Jaylon Tyson, a transfer from Texas Tech, emerged as the team’s star, averaging 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists to earn first-team All-Pac-12 honors. Subsequently, he was chosen No. 20 by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA draft.

Camryn Rogers / Andrew Nelles-Imagn Images

4. Camryn Rogers is Golden at Paris Olympics

Camryn Rogers won the women’s hammer throw at Paris, becoming the first-ever Cal woman to capture a gold medal in track and field at the Olympics Games. The 25-year-old Golden Bear alum was the first Canadian to win a track and field event in 96 years and the first Cal athlete to claim an individual gold in the sport since 1948.

A three-time NCAA champion and the collegiate recordholder in the women’s hammer, Rogers joined pole vaulter Guinn Smith (1948) and 400-meter specialist Archie Williams (1936) as the Golden Bears’ only individual gold-medal winners in track and field.

Jaydn Ott / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

5. Jaydn Ott’s Tough Season & Surprise Announcement 

Running back Jaydn Ott, the face of Cal football when the season began, injured his ankle in the opener vs. UC Davis and never found the form that made him an All-Pac-12 star in 2023. A year after rushing for 1,315 yards, Ott missed three games altogether and was limited to 385 yards.

He had said before the season that this would be his last at Cal, presumably meaning he would enter the 2025 NFL draft. But on Sunday, Ott used the voice of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in the “Wolf of Wall Street” to announce via social media he will be back at Cal next fall, giving him the chance to rebuild his NFL stock, cement his legacy and pursue Russell White’s career rushing record.

Jaylen Brown / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

6. Jaylen Brown’s NBA Crown & Olympic Snub

Former Cal one-and-done star Jaylen Brown secured his place in Boston Celtics’ lore by helping power the franchise to its record-setting 15th NBA championship. Brown was voted MVP of the Eastern Conference finals after averaging 29.8 points in a four-game sweep of Indiana, then was Finals MVP following Boston’s 4-1 win over Dallas.

Remarkably, Brown was not among three Celtics players named to the U.S. Olympic team roster, no doubt providing him an extra measure of motivation this season. The 28-year-old, three-time All-Star is averaging 24.9 points and two days after Christmas scored a season-high 44 points in a win over Indiana.

Jared Goff / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

7. Jared Goff Helps Steer Lions to Rare Heights

Former Cal quarterback Jared Goff became a favorite in Detroit when he led the Lions to a 24-23 victory over the Los Angeles Rams last January 14 for the NFL franchise’s first playoff win in 32 years. “It means a whole lot to this city,” Goff said.

Goff and the Lions then beat Tampa Bay 31-23 in the NFC semifinals before falling 31-24 to San Francisco, one step short of the Super Bowl. “It’s just the beginning for us,” said Goff, considered a top-5 MVP candidate this season after guiding Detroit to a franchise-record 14 victories, setting up a Sunday showdown with the Minnesota Vikings for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Charmin Smith / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

8. Cal Women Crush Stanford, Climb to No. 20

A year after winning 19 games, the Cal women’s basketball team has taken another step forward this season, with a 13-1 start that has elevated the Bears to No. 20 in the latest AP Top-25 poll.

Coach Charmin Smith’s senior-laden squad blasted rival Stanford 83-63 earlier this month, snapping a 12-game losing streak to the Cardinal. The Bears resume their inaugural season in the ACC on Thursday when they visit Clemson. 

Emotional Alex Morgan after her final game / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

9. Alex Morgan’s Brilliant Career Comes to an End

The greatest soccer player in Cal history, Alex Morgan, 35, announced her retirement in September following a career in which she scored 123 goals in international play, twice won World Cup titles and contributed three goals and four assists to a gold-medal effort by the USA at the 2012 London Olympics.

But she was scoreless with the San Diego Wave in the NWSL this past season and was left off the Olympic roster for the Paris Games. While announcing her retirement, Morgan also revealed she was pregnant with her second child.

 

Ryan Murphy / Rob Schumacher-Imagn Images

10. Golden Bears Win 23 Medals at Paris

Camryn Rogers wasn’t the only Cal athlete to excel at the Paris Olympics. Golden Bears won 23 medals last summer, more than all but 11 countries participating at the Games.

Swimmer Ryan Murphy, 29, in his third Olympics, won a gold, silver and bronze, boosting the backstroke specialist’s career total to nine medals. Cal swimmers won three other relay golds and current Cal student Mykolas Alekna, just 21 at the time, claimed a silver medal for Lithuania in the men’s discus.

Aaron Rodgers / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

11. Aaron Rodgers Finally Shows His Age

After missing the 2023 NFL season with an Achilles injury, quarterback Aaron Rodgers returned with high hopes this fall. The subject of a new book, “Out of the Darkness,” and a three-part Netflix documentary, Rodgers could not live up to expectations.

The former Cal star and four-time NFL MVP, now 41, has a career-worst passer rating and the New York Jets fell to 4-12 after Sunday’s 40-14 loss to Buffalo. He is one touchdown pass shy of 500 for his career and his 568 sacks are most in NFL history.

Destin Lasco / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

12. Cal Men’s Swim Maintains Elite Status

The Golden Bears were second at the NCAA men’s swim championships last spring, its 14th consecutive top-two finish at the nationals. Cal, which finished behind Arizona State, won titles in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2022, 2023.

Senior Destin Lasco completed a three-peat in the 200-yard backstroke, setting American and NCAA records with a time of 1:35.37. Lasco broke the American record set by former Cal star Ryan Murphy in 2016.

Peyton Schulze / Photo by Robert Edwards, KLC fotos

13. Cal Baseball Misses NCAA Bid

The Cal baseball team won 20 of its final 25 games last spring, including a 7-5 triumph over top-seeded Arizona in the second round of the Pac-12 tournament, in which Peyton Schulze clubbed a pair of home runs. 

At 36-19 overall and tied for fifth at 17-13 in conference play, the Bears seemed positioned to land an NCAA tournament bid. But the Pac-12 received only three berths — Arizona, Oregon and Oregon State — and the Bears missed out for the fifth straight season.

New Cal offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin / Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

14. Justin Wilcox Revamps Offensive Staff

Turns out cross-country travel wasn’t an issue for Cal football in its first season in the ACC. But the Bears struggled in close games, losing four times by a total of nine points in conference play and taking a step back offensively.

Change followed the regular season, with coach Justin Wilcox overhauling his offensive coaching staff. Leading the way, he brought in former Boise State and Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin as his fifth full-time offensive coordinator in eight seasons.

15. Three Cal women's teams reach the postseason

Cal women's gymnastics team was national runnerup / Photo by Brendan Malne, KLC fotos

Cal women's sooccer, women's softball and women's gymnastics all had succesful seasons that earned them posseason berths.

The Cal women's gymnastics team was the national runnerup in 2024, finishing just behind national champion LSU on the final day. The second-place finish was the best ever by Cal. The Bears are ranked No. 4 in the preseason coaches poll for the 2025 seasoon.

The Bears' women's soccer team reached the NCAA tournament and won a postseason game before losing to Arkansas. Cal striker Karlie Lema was the star of the team and was named ACC offensive player of the year. She signed a pro contract this week with the Bay Football Club, the Bay Area's entry in the National Women's Soccer League.

Cal's women's softball team went 37-19 and reached the NCAA playoffs for the second straight season. The Bears lost in the regional playoffs. Elon Butler was named a second-team all-American.