Cal Schedules Four-Game Football Series Against UCLA

Golden Bears' games against Florida in 2026 and 2027 have been canceled

Cal and UCLA faced off on November 25, 2023 / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Cal on Wednesday announced that the Bears will play UCLA four times from 2026 through 2029 and also announced that the Golden Bears’ home-and-home games against Florida have been canceled.

Cal and UCLA are no longer in the same conference – with Cal entering the ACC and UCLA headed to the Big Ten --  but the two main University of California schools are making a point of continuing their football rivalry. 

Cal and UCLA won’t face each other in either 2024 or 2025, but they will meet in four consecutive seasons from 2026 through 2029. Cal will welcome UCLA to California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley on Sept. 5, 2026 and Sept. 2, 2028, while the Golden Bears will travel to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, on Sept. 4, 2027 and Sept. 15, 2029.

The 2026 matchup will be the first time Cal and UCLA will meet in a nonconference game. The teams first met in 1933 and have played a total of 94 times, including at least one conference game every season for 91 consecutive campaigns from 1933-2023. Cal was a 33-7 winner in their most recent meeting in the 2023 regular-season finale for both teams at the Rose Bowl.

In May, the UC Board of Regents adopted a proposal that will require UCLA transfer $10 million a year to the Cal athletic department for the next three school years. As a condition of approving UCLA’s move to the Big Ten, the board is requiring UCLA to pay its sister school Cal, which was nt included in the move to the Big Ten.

Cal has announced that a previously scheduled two-game series against Florida (at Florida on Sept. 19, 2026; at Cal on Sept. 4, 2027) has been canceled. That two-game series with the Gators was announced in February, but it has been taken off the board. This will reduce Cal's travel, which is a cncern. The Bears' travel has bee increased by joining the ACC.

Cal also moved a previously scheduled home game in 2026 against UNLV from September 5 to October 3.

Meanwhile, UCLA is dropping nonconference showdowns against SEC powers Auburn and Georgia in favor of nonconference games against former Pac-12 members Cal and Utah. UCLA had been scheduled to face Georgia in 2025-2026 and Auburn in 2027-2028 before the programs mutually agreed to cancel the series.

The changes cut down on UCLA travel.

Cal Football Future Schedules

2025
Date – Opponent
Aug. 30 – at Oregon State
Sept. 13 – Minnesota
Sept. 20 – at San Diego State
TBA (ACC Home Games) – Duke, North Carolina, SMU, Virginia
TBA (ACC Road Games) – Boston College, Louisville, Stanford, Virginia Tech

 
2026
Date – Opponent
Sept. 5 – UCLA
Oct. 3 – UNLV
TBA (ACC Home Games) – Clemson, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
TBA (ACC Road Games) – North Carolina State, SMU, Syracuse, Virginia

2027
Date – Opponent
Sept. 4 – at UCLA
TBA (ACC Home Games) – Boston College, Florida State, Louisville, SMU
TBA (ACC Road Games) – Georgia Tech, Miami, Pittsburgh, Stanford

2028
Date – Opponent
Sept. 2 – UCLA
Sept.. 16 – at Minnesota
TBA (ACC Home Games) – Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Stanford
TBA (ACC Road Games) – Florida State, Louisville, SMU, Wake Forest

 2029
Date – Opponent
Sept. 1 – Wisconsin
Sept. 8 – at Wyoming
Sept. 15 – at UCLA
TBA (ACC Home Games) – Duke, Miami, SMU, Syracuse
TBA (ACC Road Games) – Boston College, Clemson, North Carolina, Stanford

 2030
Date – Opponent
Aug. 31 – at Wisconsin
TBA (ACC Home Games) – Clemson, North Carolina, Stanford, Virginia
TBA (ACC Road Games) – Duke, Georgia Tech, SMU, Virginia Tech