Ramping Up Cal's Schedule

There was a time when Cal's non-conference football schedule revolved around San Jose St. and Pacific. Both are fine schools with a local following but playing them doesn't give a team a boost in recognition. Pacific doesn't even play football anymore. Since those days Cal's non-conference schedule has improved in quality as well as entertainment value.

Here's the 2015 schedule:
9/5     Grambling
9/12   San Diego St.
9/19   at Texas
9/26   at Washington
10/3   Washington St.
10/10 at Utah
10/22 at UCLA
10/31 USC
11/7   at Oregon
11/14 Oregon St.
11/21 at Stanford
11/28 Arizona State

Despite closing with Arizona St. rather than Stanford this is a fine schedule. Grambling coming to Berkeley should be an entertaining event. Especially if the band travels in it's entirety. The Cal Band and the Grambling band on the same field is worth the admission. Whenever Sand Diego St. comes to Berkeley I can't help but think of the day that Marshall Faulk stepped on the Memorial Stadium turf. And Texas brings some national attention.

Cal has booked their non-conference games through the 2020 season and they have one spot available in 2021. Those games look equally entertaining. If Cal coach Sonny Dykes can build the Bears into a strong program some of the games toward the end of the decade could have national ranking implications. Here's Cal's non-conference lineup for next six years:

2016: South Dakota, at San Diego St., Texas
2017: at North Carolina, Weber St., Mississippi
2018: North Carolina, at BYU, Idaho St.
2019: UC Davis, San Jose St., at Mississippi
2020: TCU, Cal Poly-SLO, at Auburn
2021: at TCU, Auburn, TBA

It's the variety that I like best here and I'm glad that Cal is pursuing these home and away games with nationally prominent teams. The 2019 schedule brings back memories of the Pacific, San Jose St. schedules of a couple decades ago. I like the local connections with those schools, San Jose St. in particular, but I'd prefer to see them spread out more. UC Davis one year. San Jose St. the next. The game with Cal-Poly is the first ever meeting between the two schools on the football field. I love the games with TCU and Auburn. Now, if Cal can start playing some defense those games could impact national rankings. It's great to see Cal scheduling challenging games.