The UC Berkeley football program is experiencing a seismic shift under the leadership of Ron Rivera, a former NFL head coach who’s been brought in to revolutionize the Bears’ approach to college athletics.

In just seven months, Rivera has already made significant strides in transforming Cal’s football landscape. After losing nearly 40 players to the transfer portal last offseason, the program has managed a surprising 4-1 start and is working strategically to retain top talent like freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.

Chancellor Rich Lyons sees this moment as critical, setting an ambitious goal of achieving eight to nine wins in the regular season. The partnership between Lyons and Rivera goes beyond traditional expectations, focusing on player retention, revenue generation, and rebuilding the program’s national reputation.

With the Bay Area’s professional sports teams largely departing the region, Cal sees an opportunity to reclaim local sports identity. The program is leveraging new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules, working with approximately $14 million to distribute among players and create compelling marketing strategies.

Financial momentum is building, with donors contributing a record $82 million in the 2024-25 year and the university pledging to match up to $6 million in football program donations. This financial backing supports Rivera’s vision of growing Memorial Stadium’s attendance from its current average to 55,000-60,000 fans.

However, challenges remain. Despite an energetic start, the team recently suffered a significant setback, losing a home game against Duke after initially holding a 14-point lead. This mirrors the program’s long-standing struggle with consistency, having not achieved eight or more regular-season wins since 2009.

Lyons is clear about expectations: the program must demonstrate meaningful progress in the next three to four years, or risk being left behind in the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics. For Rivera and Cal, the stakes couldn’t be higher.