Coach Prime just got paid at CO, but the interesting part is how the ESPN article sites the economic impact of Coach Prime and the success of the football program on the university and the city. Prime example of how Lyons is right!

“The university cited Sanders' impact on the school and its community, noting that applications have increased 20% from a year ago to over 67,000, including an 18% increase in applications from out of state. According to the school, applications from prospective students who identify as Black/African American increased 50.5%, and applications from prospective students who identify as non-white increased 29.3%.

Colorado also sold out all but two home games last fall, marking the first time the Buffs have sold out four or more games in back-to-back seasons since 1995-96. This past season, home football games generated a combined $93.9 million in direct economic impact to the city of Boulder and $146.5 million in total regional economic impact, according to the university.”

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Cal has released the dates for its 15 spring practices plus the team's Pro Day. More details will follow but the Bears will fit seven practices in before spring break with the following eight practices after spring break. Pro Day will take place March 20 during the second week of practice. The first day of practice will take place March 12. The final practice/spring showcase day will be April 12 meaning the Bears will wrap up spring ball before the transfer portal window opens April 16.

Some teams have their spring schedules set up to run through the spring portal window, but the Bears will be all complete with the 15-practice schedule by then.

Cal spring practice calendar

March 12 (Wednesday | Practice 1) ... OPEN to the public
March 14 (Friday | Practice 2) ... OPEN to the public
March 15 (Saturday | Practice 3) ... OPEN to the public
March 17 (Monday | Practice 4) ... OPEN to the public
March 19 (Wednesday | Practice 5) ... OPEN to the public
March 20 (Thursday | PRO DAY)
March 21 (Friday | Practice 6) ... OPEN to the public
March 22 (Saturday | Practice 7) ... OPEN to the public
March 31 (Monday | Practice 8) ... CLOSED
April 2 (Wednesday | Practice 9) ... CLOSED
April 4 (Friday | Practice 10) ... CLOSED
April 5 (Saturday | Practice 11) ... CLOSED
April 7 (Monday | Practice 12) ... CLOSED
April 9 (Wednesday | Practice 13) ... CLOSED
April 11 (Friday | Practice 14) ... CLOSED
April 12 (Saturday | Practice 15) ... open to the public

maybe having cal connections doesn't make you a good person or good coach?


btw THIS is how you lay the groundwork to fire someone for cause.

I will have a story soon after it gets announced and we speak with him today, but Ron Rivera's contract was approved yesterday and he will be announced this afternoon. Some of the details are as follows: He will have a $250,000 base salary per year plus a $550,000 talent fee per year as well. The contract will begin March 24, 2025 and run through March 31, 2028.

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Christian Tucker is the next member of Cal's roster to enter his name into the transfer portal. The senior from Mesa, Arizona played in all 33 games and was one of only three players to do so this season for the Bears. Tucker, who transferred to Cal last offseason from UTSA, averaged 1.7 points and 1 assist in those 33 appearances for Mark Madsen's team.

Tucker did make five starts during the 2024-25 season including the finale against Stanford in the ACC Tournament as he stepped into the starting lineup in place of the injured Jeremiah Wilkinson. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard played a season-high 37 minutes in that loss and and finished with a season-best 4 assists.

His season high on the scoring end came early in the year against Cal Poly as he contributed 8 points in the victory after hitting a couple 3-pointers. Tucker scored 7 points in the late-February matchup at home against SMU.

He is now the fourth member of Cal's roster to enter the transfer portal since it opened this week along with Wilkinson plus forwards BJ Omot and Joshua Ola-Joseph. Three of the four players who have entered the portal, including Tucker, only transferred to Cal last offseason.

It is shaping up to be another offseason of movement for Madsen and the Bears after they added 10 players from the portal last year.

I put together a little feature story on Trond Grizzell who is entering is final season at Cal. The fifth-year senior has a new number this spring and is hoping to add to his game as he returns to the Bears for one last season. Grizzell has earned plenty of praise from some of the new faces around the team for his work ethic and dedication to the craft. He could present Kyle Cefalo and Bryan Harsin with a unique weapon on the inside, and he's working towards becoming a complete threat for the Bears.

Cal has reached the midway point of spring football, and that wrapped up Saturday with Day 7 of work for the Bears. Saturday's practice served as the first scrimmage of the spring with a couple of extended team periods giving the players an opportunity to have their most game-like feel so far this spring. There were referees and the staff allowed drives to play out a bit more than we have seen on the other six days of practice. There were still some situations when the staff called plays dead early or brought the ball back to a certain spot on the field, but it was a good opportunity to see the progress of the team through the first half of the spring.

Justin Wilcox's team will have eight practices following time off for spring break this week when the group returns to the field March 31.

Practice 7 notes and observations

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Cal has announced three future nonconference games for the coming years Thursday. The Bears have set up a home-and-home series with San Jose State that will begin in Berkeley on Sept. 9, 2028 with the return coming a few years later on Sept. 13, 2031.

The Bears will also host Wagner in the first-ever meeting between the two programs on Sept. 19, 2026 to round out the nonconference slate for that season. Cal will also host UCLA and UNLV in 2026 with a road game at BYU also on the schedule for next year.

Here's Cal's upcoming future nonconference opponents as it stands now:

2025: at Oregon State, vs. Texas Southern, vs. Minnesota, at San Diego State
2026: vs. UCLA, at BYU, vs. Wagner, vs. UNLV
2027: at UCLA, vs. BYU
2028: vs. UCLA, vs. San Jose State, at Minnesota
2029: vs. Wisconsin, at Wyoming, at UCLA
2030: at Wisconsin
2031: at San Jose State
2032: vs. Wyoming

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From The Athletic:

Stanford fired football coach Troy Taylor on Tuesday, less than a week after an ESPN report revealed that Taylor had twice been the subject of third-party investigations into complaints from athletic department employees over hostile behavior.

Former Stanford star quarterback Andrew Luck, now the football program’s general manager, became Taylor’s direct supervisor upon taking the job last November and made the decision Tuesday to terminate Taylor after just two seasons on the job.


Not going to post the whole article out of respect to them...

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I know this is being discussed in the other threads, but the news is now public that BJ Omot will be entering the transfer portal after playing in just four games at Cal. He averaged 10.8 points across those appearances and scored in double figures in three of his four games.

Got questions for @Harky4 @Matt Moreno @Sebastabear regarding the upcoming season.

I am just curious if there are any updates on the remaining players in limbo (Campbell, Dort, JOJ, and Petraitis)

..Also curious if there's any news on the staff reaching out to current players in the portal

it seems nobody cares about Cal Baseball, but FWIW, Oski tore the bark off the tree with a sweep of Stanford in Palo Alto over the weekend. Run ruled them Friday, Won by 9 on Saturday, and took the sweep in extra innings Sunday.

Stanford entered the weekend #14.

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Cal forward Joshua Ola-Joseph is headed to the transfer portal after one season with the Bears. The Minnesota transfer played in 24 games this season and made 10 starts while battling some injury issues late in the year. He averaged 7.2 points and 3.8 rebounds this season while averaging 17.7 minutes.

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Andrej Stojakovic posted this video to instagram this morning. The song playing is "Baby I'm back" which certainly makes it seem like he's announcing his return to the Bears.

Cal is midway through its second week of spring practice following Day 5 on the field at California Memorial Stadium Wednesday. The Bears will have two more practices before taking time off for spring break, but Wednesday's practice brought the first day in full pads. It also was the most balanced action that has been seen so far in spring from both the offense and defense.

Day 5 notes and observations

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Cal is nearing the midway point of spring practice following the sixth day of work on the field at California Memorial Stadium on Friday. The Bears had a couple extended team periods plus closed up the day with a competition as the team continues to work towards some spring scrimmages and spring break. There was plenty to see on Day 6 of spring ball, and I have some of the top notes and observations from Friday's work below.

Practice No. 6 notes and observations

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Back to back 3-9 seasons, two Big Game Ls, and now this, right as Spring Practices start and recruiting is in full swing! Cal couldn't have drawn it up any better!

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Cal Pro Day will take place Thursday, and the field work portion will be open to the public. ILB Teddye Buchanan, OLB Xavier Carlton, K Ryan Coe, DL Ricky Correia, OLB Cheikhsaliou Fall, DB Marcus Harris, DB Lu-Magia Hearns III, DB Matthew Littlejohn, DL Darius Long Jr., OL Rush Reimer, QB Chandler Rogers, OL T.J. Session, OL Victor Stoffel, DB Nohl Williams, P Lachlan Wilson and DB Craig Woodson are the players expected to participate Thursday.

The field work is set to begin around 10 a.m.

Day 3 of spring practice at Cal meant shoulder pads as the Bears were able to hit an important point in the spring as they closed out the first week of action at California Memorial Stadium. The pads going on meant a little more competition and energy for Saturday's practice, and it was the defense that stepped up with some impressive plays to close out Week 1.

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Just saw this tweet from Schefter:

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