Within a year, Cal and Stanford went into football.

This article originally appeared in our bi-weekly sports newsletter, Section 415. Subscribe to newsletter here and subscribe to the Section 415 podcast wherever you listen.

It’s been a long time since there was any real sustained college football fever in the Bay Area, and when NIL collectives began paying student-athletes in 2021, it looked like Cal and Stanford’s programs might fade into obscurity.

The emergence of the transfer portal, a wild wave of conference realignment and prolonged on-field struggles for both programs created the perfect storm for the new world of college football to leave the Bay Area behind.

When the Pac-12 disintegrated, Cal and Stanford found a home in the ACC, but it seemed unrealistic to think the Bears and Cardinal could compete for conference titles on the football field with the likes of Clemson and Miami.

So far, this is not the case.

Cal’s seven regular season wins in 2025 are its most since 2019. Stanford’s four wins this year are tied for its highest total since 2018.

The reality is that a large percentage of graduates from both universities probably wouldn’t care if they stopped competing in football altogether. But despite the headwinds, Cal and Stanford continue to move forward, more determined than ever to compete in a sport in which the odds have always been against them.

Last November, Stanford hired two-time Heisman Trophy finalist Andrew Luck to fill a newly created general manager role. In March, Cal responded by tapping former NFL head coach Ron Rivera to fill the same position, the first of its kind in Berkeley.

Luck and Rivera spent their first year on the job securing critical financial resources that can theoretically fund better teams. They also spent the last few weeks conducting coaching searches and identifying new leaders for the Cardinal and Bears.

On Tuesday, Luck sat at a podium in Palo Alto alongside former teammate Tavita Pritchard, another Stanford quarterback who was introduced as the program’s new coach. Three days later, Rivera sat alongside former Cal defensive lineman Tosh Lupoi, a prolific recruiter who will take over the Bears after Justin Wilcox was fired during his ninth season as head coach.

Lupoi wasted no time getting to work. He left his introductory press conference and booked a ticket to Hawaii. (opens in a new tab)and spent two hours convincing freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele stay at Berkeley next season.

Neither Pritchard nor Lupoi have ever been a head coach, but both played and worked as assistants in their respective programs. Pritchard started under Jim Harbaugh and called plays under David Shaw while Lupoi played and coached under Jeff Tedford, teaming with Aaron Rodgers, Marshawn Lynch and DeSean Jackson.

Pritchard and Lupoi understand the challenges facing Stanford and Cal as well as anyone. They each recruited players from their alma maters, but never had the type of resources they have now. Each coach reports to a general manager who is dedicated to raising funds, acquiring talent and developing the infrastructure that will be necessary to continue building momentum if and when their programs succeed.

Lupoi may not be the next Tedford, and Pritchard probably won’t be the next Harbaugh, but give Cal and Stanford credit. At a time when they could easily walk away and give up on football, both programs are making high-profile recruiting moves, significant investments and public commitments to build better teams.

No one knows if any of this will work, but for Cal and Stanford, it’s a lot better than sitting on the sidelines.