Cal football GM Ron Rivera made it crystal clear what success looks like for the 2026 season: “Winning, That’s it. There’s no number. It’s about winning.” This isn’t just talk, either, because Rivera is talking “playoffs” and eyeing an 11 or 12-win season, a huge jump for a program stuck in consistent mediocrity.
No More Mediocrity: Rivera’s Shocking Standard
Let’s be real, Cal has been… fine. They’ve hit bowl games the last three seasons and consistently pulled off six or seven wins. But “fine” isn’t cutting it for Rivera or the fanbase. He’s setting the bar way higher, which is exactly what you want from your GM. He wants to move past that “consistent mediocrity” and finally deliver something special. It’s a bold declaration, especially given the history, but you gotta love that absolute focus on victory.
Sagapolutele, Lupoi, and a Vibe Shift
So, why the sudden jump in expectations? Look no further than sophomore quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who’s got massive expectations and is already being tossed around as a dark horse for the Heisman. That’s big-time buzz! Add in first-year head coach Tosh Lupoi, a Cal alum with serious NFL and elite college coaching experience from places like Alabama and Oregon, and you’ve got a recipe for change. Rivera is seeing it too, saying there’s a “different vibe, a different feel” and a huge “energy level” in training camp. He told everyone to check back after two weeks, and that second scrimmage was “explosive.” Plus, a transfer class ranked No. 14 nationally by 247Sports is creating serious buzz. Rivera thinks they’re “taking those kinds of steps that put us into a position where we can be very, very competitive and win.” Sounds like they’re ready to make some noise.
Filling the Seats and Proving the Concept
For all the on-field excitement, there’s a big elephant in Memorial Stadium: fan turnout. Last season hit a 25-year low, averaging fewer than 35,000 fans a game. That’s tough, especially when Sagapolutele had a promising freshman year and they started strong at 4-1 before a few late-season losses and a bowl defeat to Hawai’i put a damper on things. However, the donor level is still bought in, dropping a record $88.5 million in donations from July 2025 through June 2026. Rivera says there’s still a ton of people waiting for “proof of concept,” though. To show they’re serious about getting butts in seats, Cal literally posted a video of Coach Lupoi ripping the tarps off the bleachers, boosting Memorial Stadium’s capacity to over 70,000. They’re expecting “significantly larger attendance” this year, and Rivera hopes those tarps stay off all season. With marquee home games against UCLA, Clemson, and Stanford on the schedule, they’re definitely trying to get eyes on this team.
This season is all about proving that the new energy, the big-name talent, and Rivera’s “winning” mantra are for real. Can they deliver that “proof of concept” and fill those newly uncovered seats? It’s going to be wild to watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply