Since beginning of play in 1886, the team has won five NCAA recognized national titles - 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1937[5] and 14 conference championships, the last one in 2006.

[10] In 1899, coached by Princeton alumni Garrett Cochran, Cal played a home against future legend Pop Warner and the emerging power of that period the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.

In 1915, due to various causes, including students frustration with those results, the university along with other west coast teams decided to return to American football.

[17] From 1920 to 1925, The Wonder Teams went 50 straight games without defeat, made three trips to the Rose Bowl, and won four NCAA recognised national titles - 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923.

[5] 1923 saw the opening of the California Memorial Stadium, which sat more than 73,000; several thousand more could watch the games from Tightwad Hill right above it.

Ellison lead Cal to three PCC championship titles, but will be most remembered for that the 1937 season's team and its virtually flawless performance.

[23] The Thunder Team ended the season beating Alabama 13–0 in the Rose Bowl becoming that year's national champions.

[24] Known as "Pappy's Boys", the Cal teams of 1947-1950 won 33 consecutive regular-season games, earning three PCC championships and three Rose Bowl berths.

The 1953 season is also remembered for recruiting scandal involving star freshman quarterback Ronnie Knox, who along with his father and high school coach were promised paid positions at the university.

This was discovered prior to its happening and following investigation by both administration and the PCC conference, it was found that Waldorf was not directly involved in the scandal.

[25] Completely dedicated to his team and his university, he was known to push his teammates to perform beyond their limits and to fiercely intimidate his opponents.

[26] From 1964 to 1971, the team was led by head coach Ray Willsey, who had a losing career, but it was under him that Cal had one of the sternest defenses in its modern history.

Known as The Bear Minimum, the 1968 team was let by Ed White an All-American and future member of College Hall of Fame.

[27] The Bear Minimum still holds Cal's records for opponents' average gains per play – 3.60, as well as the fewest rushing touchdowns per season – 5 (same as the Thunder Team).

[23] In the 1970s Cal had seven winning seasons, in 1975 it was led by coach Mike White, running back Chuck Muncie, and quarterback Joe Roth.

In respect of his perseverance, and dedication to others, his former locker is dedicated in his honor and the annual home game against that year's opponent UCLA or USC, it is known as the Joe Roth Memorial Game, and an annual award bearing his name goes to the Cal player who best exemplifies Roth's courage, sportsmanship and attitude.

Campbell's success in the 1979 season as a junior led to his being featured on the cover of Street and Smith's Official Yearbook 1980 College Football Preview.

[32] In 1980, during his senior year at the University of California, he set a then-NCAA record with 43 completed passes in 53 attempts in a losing effort against the Florida Gators.

[9] The team was coached by Cal's former quarterback Joe Kapp and is most known for what happened in the annual Big Game against Stanford, which became known as The Play.

Led by quarterback John Elway, Stanford made a field goal with only four seconds left in the game, resulting in the Cardinal taking a one-point lead.

The Bears finished the 1991 season in 2nd place in the conference, and were invited to play against the Clemson Tigers in the Florida Citrus Bowl.

Under him the Golden Bears posted eight consecutive winning seasons, a feat that had not been accomplished since the days of Pappy Waldorf.

[9] Led by future NFL superstar Aaron Rodgers, the 2004 Bears posted a 10–1 regular season record.

In his three years under Dykes' Air Raid, he set 26 team records, including most season and career touchdowns, pass yardage gained, as well as the lowest percentage of interceptions.

[42] In 2017, Cal appointed Justin Wilcox, whose defensive-minded approach could be considered a polar opposite of Dykes, as the new coach.

California Memorial Stadium was built to honor Berkeley alumni, students, and other Californians who died in World War I and modeled after the Colosseum in Rome.

It has been named one of the top college football stadiums by various publications, and it is also listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

[50] A 1998 seismic safety study on the California campus gave the stadium a "poor" rating (meaning that the building represents an "appreciable life hazard" in an earthquake).

[60][61][62] While not as significant as the Stanford or UCLA rivalries, for either school, Cal and USC played an annual game, and met more than 100 times.

As of September 4, 2023[72] On October 30, 2023, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) announced the future schedules for California from 2024 to 2030.