UCLA and Cal stand on opposing sidelines against each other for the first time since 2023.
The matchup will serve as the latest installment in the long-time rivalry between the West Coast programs.
The two teams had played one another every year since 1933 before that streak ended in 2023, after Cal moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference and UCLA played a Big Ten Conference schedule.
The rivalry nearly came to an end
The rivalry nearly came to an end a few years prior when an initial schedule for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season did not have the two teams playing against one another.
However, when each team had one of their respective opponents back out of games due to COVID-19, the in-state rivals put a game together on short notice.
While this weekend’s matchup is the start of a four-game series between the two teams, it remains unclear if the two universities have plans to extend the series beyond 2029. Cal will host the Bruins in 2026 and 2028, while UCLA will serve as host in 2027 and 2029.
UCLA enters the game as the all-time series leader against Cal 57-36-1.
Here are some of the biggest winners and losers from tonight’s game:
Winners from UCLA vs. Cal
UCLA is in the Big Ten and Cal
UCLA is in the Big Ten and Cal is in the ACC, but the fans are already the true winners after the universities managed to get the game back on the field to restore the long-time Pac-12 rivalry.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Cal vs UCLA live winners and losers: Grades from Week 1 Game
Source: sports.yahoo.com
