I stopped watching my Raiders consistently when they started to become a non consistent performer. One could say the same thing about Cal. But with start of every new season came the hope of new recruits who could change the game. If I lose my Bears I'm not sure what I will turn to? I don't really want to devote my efforts to another team......

I'd probably stop following college football. Maybe watch a handful of games per year but my love for the sport, which is still hanging by threads, would be irrevocably lost. The NFL has better quality football without the heartache.

Trumpanzee said:

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I stopped watching my Raiders consistently when they started to become a non consistent performer. One could say the same thing about Cal. But with start of every new season came the hope of new recruits who could change the game. If I lose my Bears I'm not sure what I will turn to? I don't really want to devote my efforts to another team......

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I'd become more of a Goff/Lions fan. Thanksgiving would be fun. I'd save a lot of money not traveling to Cal games, but more than a small part of me would die, and I'd probable become irreversibly depressed.

Trumpanzee said:

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I stopped watching my Raiders consistently when they started to become a non consistent performer. One could say the same thing about Cal. But with start of every new season came the hope of new recruits who could change the game. If I lose my Bears I'm not sure what I will turn to? I don't really want to devote my efforts to another team......

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I'd demand a time refund for sixty years of futility.

They won't shut it down; that would require some bold decision making not in line with administrators. There will be some half a$$ed solution to keep the patient on life support.

I would like to follow rugby but I don't know where to watch it or if it even has a TV presence.

As many of us have found, Premier League soccer is a nice place to turn. And, hopefully the quality of play in the MLS improves to the point that it is acceptable and even exciting.

If you don't like soccer… oh well.

bearsandgiants said:

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Trumpanzee said:

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I stopped watching my Raiders consistently when they started to become a non consistent performer. One could say the same thing about Cal. But with start of every new season came the hope of new recruits who could change the game. If I lose my Bears I'm not sure what I will turn to? I don't really want to devote my efforts to another team......

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I'd become more of a Goff/Lions fan. Thanksgiving would be fun. I'd save a lot of money not traveling to Cal games, but more than a small part of me would die, and I'd probable become irreversibly depressed.

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Same. Go Lions; go Jets. And though I would not watch or closely follow College Football any longer I would root for the SEC to win and beat the B1G (particularly the former Pac12 teams), the Big 12, and ACC. I realize they are no more honorable, but they were not the ones who stabbed us in the back.

During the Sonny Dykes era, I got tired of our joke defense and watching us lose after being up 42 - 10 at halftime.

I spent my Fall Saturdays doing sprinkler repair. I was not alone doing this.

If Cal shuts down their football program, I will seek to do a super easy one year online Masters program at a bluebood football school in order to have some legitimate connection to the university, and then transfer my entire allegiance to that program.

Having a connection to, and becoming a fan of, a blueblood program, would ensure that I am no longer abused or hurt in the way that I am today ever again.

Again, this is only if Cal's football program is completely shut down and no longer exists.

Trumpanzee said:

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I stopped watching my Raiders consistently when they started to become a non consistent performer. One could say the same thing about Cal. But with start of every new season came the hope of new recruits who could change the game. If I lose my Bears I'm not sure what I will turn to? I don't really want to devote my efforts to another team......

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I also cut the Raiders off after being a lifelong fan. Last year was my final straw, the organizational incompetence is sclerotic.

After Cal dies, and I include half measures and temporary solutions as death, my next hobby has to be one that I have some element of control over. So for me, that's racing cars and maybe sponsoring a small racing outfit. I can no longer let my sporting happiness be controlled by Mark Davis or the bureaucrats at Cal.

I also love F1 but rooting for any one team in F1 is a fool's errand. Entire decades/eras are won by a single manufacturer at a time and there is very little hope for anyone else during those dominant periods. Drive to Survive has however done an incredible job of capturing the real drama in F1 which is and always has been the behind the scenes soap opera which makes up for the lack of drama on track.

There are plenty of pro sports teams in the Bay Area that put more effort into competing. I already spend time watching their games anyway; the college game doesn't need my attention if it doesn't want to keep a major team where I live.

Trumpanzee said:

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I stopped watching my Raiders consistently when they started to become a non consistent performer. One could say the same thing about Cal. But with start of every new season came the hope of new recruits who could change the game. If I lose my Bears I'm not sure what I will turn to? I don't really want to devote my efforts to another team......

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Personally I've become more and more detached over the last several years. Used to be I would plan my weeks around games, work out ways to attend in person when possible, etc. However the Dykes/Wilcox years and Wyking/Fox debacle pretty pretty much sucked the joy out of Cal sports for me. And no, could care less about the other sports. So if this the end, I would say it's a mercy killing - the program has been on life support for far too long.

I'd keep following Bowdoin College D3 like I do now. Go Polar Bears!

BearMDJD said:

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I also love F1 but rooting for any one team in F1 is a fool's errand. Entire decades/eras are won by a single manufacturer at a time and there is very little hope for anyone else during those dominant periods. Drive to Survive has however done an incredible job of capturing the real drama in F1 which is and always has been the behind the scenes soap opera which makes up for the lack of drama on track.

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As a lifelong F1 fan who has enjoyed attending some of the races in Montreal (pre-turbo era) I can concur that the sport has become incredibly boring.

Sadly, "Drive to Survive" has been 50X more exciting than the actual racing.

You keep repeating this on every thread. Move on!

Sonny Dykes is legit competing for national championships while our lame duck head coach is hoping to win 6 games.

We look like massive losers with how the Sonny Dykes situation turned out.

Now look at us, completely unwanted, in this beyond embarrassing situation. But sure keep reminding us about Sonny's lack of defense. Sad.

If our football program is discontinued, I will no longer make any monetary contributions to Cal. The incompetent and bloated bureauracy that runs my alma mater doesn't deserve support.

StarsDoMatter said:

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You keep repeating this on every thread. Move on!

Sonny Dykes is legit competing for national championships while our lame duck head coach is hoping to win 6 games.

We look like massive losers with how the Sonny Dykes situation turned out.

Now look at us, completely unwanted, in this beyond embarrassing situation. But sure keep reminding us about Sonny's lack of defense. Sad.

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I enjoyed the Sonny years, and stated over and over here that he would win only one game in his first year because he had very few legit D1 players when he arrived. Watched essentially every practice in spring and fall and saw zero leadership from upper class-men, and no qb until the frosh showed up in the fall. Lots of young, little receivers and Goff tried their best to make something from nothing.

StarsDoMatter said:

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You keep repeating this on every thread. Move on!

Sonny Dykes is legit competing for national championships while our lame duck head coach is hoping to win 6 games.

We look like massive losers with how the Sonny Dykes situation turned out.

Now look at us, completely unwanted, in this beyond embarrassing situation. But sure keep reminding us about Sonny's lack of defense. Sad.

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They are two separate things.

Many of us strongly disliked Sonny Dykes' style of football, made worse by the degradation of the game day experience at the time which, admittedly, was mostly beyond his control. Our current problems are a separate matter. There is no need for us to "move on."

Chapman_is_Gone said:

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StarsDoMatter said:

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You keep repeating this on every thread. Move on!

Sonny Dykes is legit competing for national championships while our lame duck head coach is hoping to win 6 games.

We look like massive losers with how the Sonny Dykes situation turned out.

Now look at us, completely unwanted, in this beyond embarrassing situation. But sure keep reminding us about Sonny's lack of defense. Sad.

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They are two separate things.

Many of us strongly disliked Sonny Dykes' style of football, made worse by the degradation of the game day experience at the time which, admittedly, was mostly beyond his control. Our current problems are a separate matter. There is no need for us to "move on."

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I always tried to be clear that I didn't think Dykes was a bad coach, I thought he was a bad fit. I'm not surprised he's had more success in Texas than in California, though yes, the degree of success for TCU has been a surprise because he never showed anything like that before.

Actually they are quite similar.

Sonny Dykes talked about how little the Cal admins cared about football. Lack of any institutional support. Apathetic fan base. Everything he said was absolutely right.

Instead, and quite predictably, he was demonized. Many fans never accepted him.

He inherited a giant mess, but left cal better than he found it.

He turned around SMU very quickly.

His TCU season was the thing of legends.

Sonny Dykes is a helluva football coach. It's becoming more clear every year.

Unfortunately, Cal seems like an impossible place to win.. hence why we are in this current predicament.

StarsDoMatter said:

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Actually they are quite similar.

Sonny Dykes talked about how little the Cal admins cared about football. Lack of any institutional support. Apathetic fan base. Everything he said was absolutely right.

Instead, and quite predictably, he was demonized. Many fans never accepted him.

He inherited a giant mess, but left cal better than he found it.

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Sonny was right and I think the admins are learning a painful lesson. Unfortunately too late to save Cal football.

If the football program shuts down, I will simply stop watching college football. I only watch Cal games anyways. If my love of Cal football is taken away from me, I will also need to point fingers at someone and it's pretty apparent who those fingers should be pointed at.

Also more time for soccer with my kids both being on club teams, so I won't be refreshing my phone on the pitch during soccer games on Saturdays.

To be honest, I'll feel gutted and heartbroken, but I will always be a fan. Too many great memories - so great that it's impossible to erase from your brain.

I'll still rock my Cal gear though.

glb78 said:

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I'll still rock my Cal gear though.

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Cal football - Undefeated since 2024.

My only problem with Dykes when he was here was that 3 out of the 4 seasons, the defenses were "the absolute pits of the world" (to quote John McEnroe) and his best one was only "not very good".

Some of that was decisions he made; some was due to lack of support and some (2013) was due to the players/program he inherited.

I thought the "fit" issue was overrated, though I guess it was something of a thing.

Having an absolutely horrible offense is equally frustrating as having an absolutely horrible defense, imo.

Big C said:

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Having an absolutely horrible offense is equally frustrating as having an absolutely horrible defense, imo.

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The great defenses of the early Wilcox seasons were all Dykes guys, the coordination was not there but the talent was in the wings, on offense hopefully it's the same deal where the coaching was absent and the talent comes out with the Spavital Bear Raid.

I hope man. I really do. But the incompetence and arrogance of Carol Christ and JK is beyond measure. I bet Carol still thinks ESPN should give us $50M.

Trumpanzee said:

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I stopped watching my Raiders consistently when they started to become a non consistent performer. One could say the same thing about Cal. But with start of every new season came the hope of new recruits who could change the game. If I lose my Bears I'm not sure what I will turn to? I don't really want to devote my efforts to another team......

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My alternatives have been League One or Two UK football or Ivy/Patriot League football on ESPN+. If WSU and/or OSU go MWC, maybe them. If I need to see it in person, maybe Davis or HS.

I was a Cal FB/MBB season ticket holder for 25+ years ending in 2012. I don't give devotion or financial support to teams, coaches, administrators or conferences who are giving me a collective middle finger. That's what top line college and professional sports are today. A major screw. No thanks.

Econ141 said:

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StarsDoMatter said:

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Actually they are quite similar.

Sonny Dykes talked about how little the Cal admins cared about football. Lack of any institutional support. Apathetic fan base. Everything he said was absolutely right.

Instead, and quite predictably, he was demonized. Many fans never accepted him.

He inherited a giant mess, but left cal better than he found it.

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Sonny was right and I think the admins are learning a painful lesson. Unfortunately too late to save Cal football.

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Lack of administrative support has definitely been the issue for a long time. Some coaches (Tedford) could navigate it better than others, at least for a time.

sycasey said:

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Econ141 said:

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StarsDoMatter said:

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Actually they are quite similar.

Sonny Dykes talked about how little the Cal admins cared about football. Lack of any institutional support. Apathetic fan base. Everything he said was absolutely right.

Instead, and quite predictably, he was demonized. Many fans never accepted him.

He inherited a giant mess, but left cal better than he found it.

---

Sonny was right and I think the admins are learning a painful lesson. Unfortunately too late to save Cal football.

---

Lack of administrative support has definitely been the issue for a long time. Some coaches (Tedford) could navigate it better than others, at least for a time.

---

Tedford had support. We built a $500 million stadium/SAHPC for Tedford. He with Tosh brought in stars and trashed our APR, creating an academic disaster that Dykes had to turn around while trying to win with tougher standards and Wilcox has had to maintain.

Boot said:

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I'd keep following Bowdoin College D3 like I do now. Go Polar Bears!

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Yes! NESCAC football. Beautiful campuses and great for fall football.

calumnus said:

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sycasey said:

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Econ141 said:

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StarsDoMatter said:

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Actually they are quite similar.

Sonny Dykes talked about how little the Cal admins cared about football. Lack of any institutional support. Apathetic fan base. Everything he said was absolutely right.

Instead, and quite predictably, he was demonized. Many fans never accepted him.

He inherited a giant mess, but left cal better than he found it.

---

Sonny was right and I think the admins are learning a painful lesson. Unfortunately too late to save Cal football.

---

Lack of administrative support has definitely been the issue for a long time. Some coaches (Tedford) could navigate it better than others, at least for a time.

---

Tedford had support. We built a $500 million stadium/SAHPC for Tedford. He with Tosh brought in stars and trashed our APR, creating an academic disaster that Dykes had to turn around while trying to win with tougher standards and Wilcox has had to maintain.

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Tedford was able to increase institutional support by winning immediately and filling the stadium, then making his desires known (new facilities). I don't think that would have happened without him (and to give proper credit: Barbour too).

I would also bet that lack of academic support is another big issue at Cal (vs other P5 schools) and contributed to Tedford's burnout/downfall.

sycasey said:

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Econ141 said:

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StarsDoMatter said:

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Actually they are quite similar.

Sonny Dykes talked about how little the Cal admins cared about football. Lack of any institutional support. Apathetic fan base. Everything he said was absolutely right.

Instead, and quite predictably, he was demonized. Many fans never accepted him.

He inherited a giant mess, but left cal better than he found it.

---

Sonny was right and I think the admins are learning a painful lesson. Unfortunately too late to save Cal football.

---

Lack of administrative support has definitely been the issue for a long time. Some coaches (Tedford) could navigate it better than others, at least for a time.

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Tedford could have kept it going just fine if he wasn't so stubborn about playing a terrible Longshore and wasn't such an wuss on 4th and short.