The Atlantic Coast Conference announced its complete 2024 football schedule Wednesday with Cal's slate highlighted by the Golden Bears' first ACC game Sept. 21 at Florida State and four home league contests in their inaugural season as members of the ACC against Miami (Oct. 5), North Carolina State (Oct. 19), Syracuse (Nov. 16) and Stanford (Nov. 23).
Cal's seven-game home schedule also includes three nonconference dates beginning with the Aug. 31 season opener against UC Davis, while the Bears also host San Diego State (Sept. 14) and Oregon State (Oct. 26), with the game against their former Pac-12 opponent Beavers moved from its previously announced date.
The Bears open a five-game road schedule Sept. 7 with the return game of a home-and-home series with SEC foe Auburn. After its Sept. 21 visit to Tallahassee, Cal will have ACC road contests at Pittsburgh (Oct. 12), Wake Forest (Nov. 8) and SMU (Nov. 30).
The ACC Championship Game is slated for Dec. 7 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
All Cal games are on Saturdays other than a Friday contest at Wake Forest, while the Bears have byes in Weeks 5 and 10. Kickoff times and television networks for all contests will be announced at later dates.
Cal has played a total of 12 previous games against its seven 2024 regular-season ACC opponents other than Stanford (Miami 2-2, Pittsburgh 2-3, SMU 0-1, Syracuse 1-1) most recently with a 2008 victory over Miami at the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco.
The announcement of the ACC's complete schedule concluded a three-day unveiling of the league's 2024 football slate that is being capped with extensive coverage Wednesday beginning at 2 p.m. PT on the ACC Huddle: 2024 Football Schedule Release Show on the ACC Network and ESPN2. All announcements were also featured on the ACC Network's ACC PM and are part of a full week of football coverage and commentary including interviews with all 17 of the league's head football coaches on the ACC Network and ACC Sirius XM.
Cal will feature a 2024 Heisman Trophy candidate in junior running back Jaydn Ott, who rushed for 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns on 246 carries over 12 games in 2023 while leading the Pac-12 and finishing ninth nationally with an average of 109.6 rushing yards per contest. Ott earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and was an honorable mention All-American pick by Phil Steele as a 2023 sophomore. In his first two seasons at Cal, he has rushed for 2,212 yards and 20 touchdowns on 416 carries over 24 games and 22 starts.
X / ACC Football
Complete 2024 ACC football schedule
All six players from Cal's 2023 Independence Bowl squad that were selected to the All-Pac-12 Football Team last season return in 2024, with Ott joined by second-team punter Lachlan Wilson, honorable mention choices OLB David Reese and DB Craig Woodson, and a pair of freshman honorees in Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year ILB Cade Uluave and Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honorable mention selection QB Fernando Mendoza.
Uluave and TE Jack Endries were also 2023 Freshman All-American picks with Uluave a three-time first-teamer (College Football Network, FWAA, The Athletic), while Endries earned first-team recognition from College Football News and second-team honors from The Athletic, in addition to being an honorable mention choice of College Football News.
The returnees will be joined by a 2024 recruiting class that is led by a transfer portal group that ranks as high as No. 6 nationally according to On3 and currently sits at a total of 28 members including 19 who joined the Bears as mid-year enrollees earlier this month.
Visit CalBears.com to place a 2024 Cal football season-ticket deposit. Season-ticket holders receive benefits such as season parking, the ability to transfer, exchange, sell and purchase additional tickets, and much more.
Fans can also check out the Cal Athletic Fund online to support the Cal football program via the Championship CALiber initiative.
2024 CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Date – Opponent
Aug. 31 – UC Davis
Sept. 7 – at Auburn
Sept. 14 – San Diego State
Sept. 21 – at Florida State*
Oct. 5 – Miami*
Oct. 12 – at Pittsburgh*
Oct. 19 – North Carolina State*
Oct. 26 – Oregon State
Nov. 8 – at Wake Forest*
Nov. 16 – Syracuse*
Nov. 23 – Stanford*
Nov. 30 – at SMU*
Dec. 7 – ACC Football Championship Game+
Home Games In Bold At California Memorial Stadium; *ACC Game; +At Bank Of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC; All Games On Saturdays Other Than Friday Game At Wake Forest; Kickoff Times And Broadcast Television Networks To Be Announced At Later Dates