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Bears Announce Future Games Against San Jose State, Wagner

January 30, 2025
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The California football team has agreed to future nonconference games in a home-and-home series with San Jose State, along with a single game in Berkeley against Wagner. The Golden Bears will host the Spartans on Sept. 9, 2028, and travel to San Jose on Sept. 13, 2031. Cal is set to face the Seahawks on Sept. 19, 2026.
 
Cal is 29-6 overall against San Jose State and it will be the first tilt between the Bay Area squads since 1996, a 45-25 victory for the Bears in the season opener. Cal has won the last nine matchups and has outscored the Spartans 1084-514 in the all-time series. 
 
It will be the first-ever contest on the football field between Cal and Wagner, which plays in the Northeast Conference of the Football Championship Subdivision. The Bears' other nonconference games in 2026 are vs. UCLA (Sept. 5), at BYU (Sept. 12) and vs. UNLV (Oct. 3)

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Bears Announce Future Games Against San Jose State, Wagner

7,420 Views | 83 Replies | Last: 24 days ago by oskidunker
bearsandgiants
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12:38p, 1/30/25
When do Wagner tickets go on sale?
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eliu01
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12:46p, 1/30/25
si.com announced this with the following:

https://www.si.com/college/cal/football/call-adds-san-jose-state-wagner-to-future-football-schedules-01jjw82gx7ms

Who's Call? Or is it whose call? Phone call?

Can't figure out how to post an image, so for the record in case they fix the webpage the headline of the SI article says:

"Call Adds San Jose State, Wagner to Future Football Schedules"
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Bobodeluxe
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In reply to bearsandgiants • 12:46p, 1/30/25
bearsandgiants said:
When do Wagner tickets go on sale?
They are already sold out. Legends donors had first offer.
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Anarchistbear
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1:31p, 1/30/25
Bummer. I was looking forward to home and home and a trip to Staten Island
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BearBoarBlarney
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1:49p, 1/30/25
Long before the Wagner College Seahawks roll into CMS in Fall 2026, let me go on record in expressing my utmost confidence that Coach Wilcox will maintain his sparkling 1.000 winning percentage against FCS teams.

Not sure I ever thought we'd host a less impressive opponent than the Presbyterian College Blue Hose, but I've been proven wrong again by the intrepid Jim Knowlton.
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Cal88
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In reply to BearBoarBlarney • 2:00p, 1/30/25
We play UCLA, BYU and UNLV that season, so the FCS to round off the OOC schedule is the right choice.
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BearSD
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2:05p, 1/30/25
It will be a tough challenge for our Golden Bears to face a Wagner football team with such a proud history: 1987 National Champions.
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BearBoarBlarney
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In reply to Cal88 • 2:15p, 1/30/25
Cal88 said:
We play UCLA, BYU and UNLV that season, so the FCS to round off the OOC schedule is the right choice.

No issues with rounding out the OOC with an FCS opponent. If only we had some local programs in California that could have filled that slot and used a body-bag game to shore up their athletic dept finances.

I guess Wagner College flying out from Staten Island makes much more sense than playing UC Davis, Sacramento State, Cal Poly, or University of San Diego.
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HearstMining
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2:19p, 1/30/25
I was hoping for the Fightin' Poets of Whittier University. Although they dropped football in 2022, they are due back in 2026!
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bear2034
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2:26p, 1/30/25
Games against FCS opponents are when we're supposed to get our backups playing time, especially our 2nd and 3rd string QB's but for some reason, it tends not to happen.
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Cal88
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In reply to bear2034 • 2:31p, 1/30/25
It will against Wagner College (enrollment 1,950 undergraduates)...
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Anarchistbear
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2:45p, 1/30/25
Will they bring their band which I understand is a four piece combo?
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BearBoarBlarney
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In reply to Anarchistbear • 3:48p, 1/30/25
Anarchistbear said:
Will they bring their band which I understand is a four piece combo?
I laughed.
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GoOskie
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4:40p, 1/30/25
What the heck is a Wagner?
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calumnus
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In reply to Cal88 • 5:46p, 1/30/25
Cal88 said:
It will against Wagner College (enrollment 1,950 undergraduates)...


So don't expect a huge Wagner contingent flying across the country to boost our ticket sales?
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PaulCali
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6:17p, 1/30/25
This may be the most ridiculous football scheduling Cal has ever made.
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Oakbear
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In reply to PaulCali • 12:27a, 1/31/25
PaulCali said:
This may be the most ridiculous football scheduling Cal has ever made.
The Lyon meowing?
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BearChemist
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12:32a, 1/31/25
I was told that our AD respects Coach Wilcox's opinion in scheduling OOC games. So, this must be what Wilcox wants for his Cal team.
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calumnus
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In reply to BearChemist • 12:54a, 1/31/25
BearChemist said:
I was told that our AD respects Coach Wilcox's opinion in scheduling OOC games. So, this must be what Wilcox wants for his Cal team.


Yeah, I doubt it was Knowlton. He tries to do as little possible for his $1.3 million a year salary.
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Richmondbear2
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7:43a, 1/31/25
Watching Wagner take the field to the sounds of "Ride of the Valkyries" is one of the most awesome experiences in all of College Football. I've been waiting for this all my life!
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75bear
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7:54a, 1/31/25
If we want to increase our bowl eligible chances, we need to schedule a Wagner type game every year.
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Iamhere2help
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9:23a, 1/31/25
It would fo been helpful if the first few posters posted a sarcasm gif
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BearoutEast67
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In reply to bearsandgiants • 9:47a, 1/31/25
bearsandgiants said:
When do Wagner tickets go on sale?
I wonder if the Wagner stadium plays "Ride of The Valkyries" after each score?
Donate to Cal's NIL at https://calegends.com/donation/
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AunBear89
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9:55a, 1/31/25
Wagner shares this similar history with furd. In 1886, the school was renamed Wagner Memorial Lutheran College, after a building in Rochester was purchased for its use by John G. Wagner in memory of his son.

In 1918, at the behest of then-college president Frederick Sutter, the college moved to the 38-acre estate on Staten Island.
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." -- (maybe) Benjamin Disraeli, popularized by Mark Twain
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BearBoarBlarney
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In reply to AunBear89 • 12:16p, 1/31/25
AunBear89 said:
Wagner shares this similar history with furd. In 1886, the school was renamed Wagner Memorial Lutheran College, after a building in Rochester was purchased for its use by John G. Wagner in memory of his son.

Interestingly, J. George Wagner Jr. died at age 19 in 1873 from typhoid fever and Leland Stanford Jr. died at age 15 in 1884 from the same disease. One institution rose to fame and prominence due to its founder's generosity and the other ended up being a converted horse farm adjacent to Sand Hill Road.

Further research is still needed to determine if John G. Wagner was also a robber baron who amassed his fortune on the backs of the very people that he then made sure to discriminate against.
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bear2034
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In reply to PaulCali • 12:42p, 1/31/25
PaulCali said:
This may be the most ridiculous football scheduling Cal has ever made.

Cal should schedule USC so Cal fans can complain about Cal scheduling USC.
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BearBoarBlarney
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In reply to bear2034 • 12:58p, 1/31/25
bear2034 said:


Cal should schedule USC so Cal fans can complain about Cal scheduling USC.

Are you really trying to draw some sort of equivalency between Cal vs. USC and Cal vs. Wagner?
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Bobodeluxe
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In reply to BearBoarBlarney • 12:59p, 1/31/25
BearBoarBlarney said:
bear2034 said:


Cal should schedule USC so Cal fans can complain about Cal scheduling USC.

Are you really trying to draw some sort of equivalency between Cal vs. USC and Cal vs. Wagner?
I think that he just saying, "OBEY!"
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bear2034
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In reply to BearBoarBlarney • 1:03p, 1/31/25
BearBoarBlarney said:
bear2034 said:

Cal should schedule USC so Cal fans can complain about Cal scheduling USC.
Are you really trying to draw some sort of equivalency between Cal vs. USC and Cal vs. Wagner?
Tell me about USC.
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Eastern Oregon Bear
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In reply to BearBoarBlarney • 1:19p, 1/31/25
BearBoarBlarney said:
bear2034 said:


Cal should schedule USC so Cal fans can complain about Cal scheduling USC.

Are you really trying to draw some sort of equivalency between Cal vs. USC and Cal vs. Wagner?
Nah, he just saw a pot that needed it's sh*t stirred.
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HearstMining
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3:24p, 1/31/25
They could give free tickets, free beer, and still not get 30,000 attendees for this match-up.
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75bear
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In reply to HearstMining • 3:26p, 1/31/25
HearstMining said:
They could give free tickets, free beer, and still not get 30,000 attendees for this match-up.
Free lap dances would only get us to 25,000.
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Strykur
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In reply to 75bear • 4:37p, 1/31/25
75bear said:
HearstMining said:
They could give free tickets, free beer, and still not get 30,000 attendees for this match-up.
Free lap dances would only get us to 25,000.
Cocaine, hookers, and Wagner maybe gets us 20K

Seriously why not just stick to in-state FCS or nearby programs (Cal Poly, Sac State, Eastern Washington, Portland State), if it was an HBCU that would be one thing but flying in FCS programs from New York makes no sense, better yet just schedule a scrub Sun Belt or Conference USA program
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AunBear89
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6:28p, 1/31/25
This assumes that one of those western schools had the same date to fill, and was willing to fill it with a body bag road game.

It's a one time thing. Why is everyone making such a big deal?
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." -- (maybe) Benjamin Disraeli, popularized by Mark Twain
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calumnus
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In reply to 75bear • 8:26p, 1/31/25
75bear said:
If we want to increase our bowl eligible chances, we need to schedule a Wagner type game every year.


We do. We play an FCS team every year. I just think it is better to play a California team. I think we should make UC Davis an annual tradition involving the alumni and students.
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