What would it take for Cal football general manager Ron Rivera to consider the 2026 season a success? His answer was refreshingly simple.
"Winning," Rivera said. "That's it. There's no number. It's about winning."
The Bears haven't not won in recent years. They made bowl games in each of the last three seasons and won six or seven games in a run of consistent mediocrity. But Cal fans - and Rivera, who even uttered the word "playoffs" in the same breath as "11, 12" wins on Wednesday - expect more than that.
Sophomore quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele enters his second year with massive expectations. People are throwing around his name as a dark horse to win the Heisman Trophy. Cal has a well-regarded first-year head coach, Tosh Lupoi, a program alum who has coaching experience in the NFL and at elite college programs like Alabama and Oregon. The Bears' transfer class, ranked No. 14 nationally per 247Sports, is getting lots of buzz as well.
All of that is creating a sense this can be the year that changes everything for Cal.
"I'm impressed. I really am. I think there's a different vibe, a different feel," Rivera said when asked to assess training camp so far. "First and foremost, it's the energy level. When we first started training camp, a lot of people were excited: ‘Oh, wow, this is cool and great! ' I said, ‘No, no, talk to me in two weeks.'
"Well, (after) two weeks we had our second scrimmage, and it was explosive. A lot of good things, a lot of positive things happening on both sides of the ball. So you like to think we're taking those kinds of steps that put us into a position where we can be very, very competitive and win."
If Cal can win, one of the program's biggest issues would likely be resolved. The program's attendance last season hit a 25-year low, averaging fewer than 35,000 fans a game. Fan turnout dwindled despite Sagapolutele's promising freshman campaign and a strong 4-1 start. Losses in three of the Bears' last five regular season games - and a bowl game loss to Hawai'i - put a damper on what had potential to be a breakthrough season.
At least at the donor level, people seem to remain bought in. Cal athletics drew a record $88.5 million in donations from July 2025 through June 2026. He said they've only just begun to tap into the donor base, and that there's still a lot of people looking for "proof of concept," or winning, before they'd be willing to buy into the program at a larger level.
The big question: Is the same level of buy-in present among fans in the stands?
Rivera seems to think so. It's why Cal posted a video Tuesday of Lupoi literally ripping the blue and yellow tarps off the bleachers in the south end of the stadium, increasing Memorial Stadium's maximum capacity to a little more than 70,000. The program is expecting significantly larger attendance numbers this season, and Rivera said he hopes the tarps remain off the entire year.
The Tarps are coming OFF 📣
You asked, we answered. Let's pack California Memorial Stadium all season long!
🎟️ For a limited time this week, seats in sections LL & N are $43! Sale ends Friday at 5 pm ➡️ https://t.co/zIwd1b7dl9pic.twitter.com/R2XryEVW5M
Rivera pointed to three matchups against UCLA, Clemson and Stanford as "marquee" home games that should help get butts in seats, which in turn impacts how the program is being viewed by the eyeballs on the television.
"We've done some really good things with our ticket sales. They most certainly are up," Rivera said. "Marquee games at home mean an awful lot. It means the attendance most certainly will be up. … When you can fill the stadium up and and have that consistent week after week, first of all, you're creating another revenue source that can really help benefit the program. We'd like to be able to help our program take a huge step, but also our athletic department as well.
The Bears open the season Sept. 5 against historic rival UCLA, another program with a first-year head coach. Coming off a 3-9 season, Bruins star quarterback Nico Iamaleava told reporters last week his team isn't entering the season "on anybody's radar. … I think that fuels us."
NFL players returning to college:Rivera offered his opinion on players who participated in NFL training camp and are attempting to return to college football. Rivera said he's not a fan of it, and he's "disappointed that people are looking for ways to cheat the system or beat the system."
"I think when somebody makes a decision, goes in a certain direction, they've made their decision," Rivera said. "We got to make sure that people understand: you sign contracts, you make deals, you come into agreements, you're supposed to hold true, and I think that's it."
The most prominent example here is former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright, an undrafted rookie who is expected to sign with LSU. Wright, 22, played four college seasons with Virginia Tech and Ole Miss. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles after the draft, then was claimed by the Browns off waivers Aug. 11. Wright didn't participate in either of Cleveland's first two preseason contests, and the Browns waived him.
A Louisiana judge last week granted a temporary restraining order that allowed 16 players to return to college football. The Big Ten and SEC each swiftly voted on rules that prohibit the return of NFL players to college football.
Rivera said the ACC is taking a "nice long look at it."
"I know (ACC commissioner Jim Phillips) and his staff are having a huge discussion, and it'll also probably be passed along to the athletic directors and to the chancellors and presidents," Rivera said. "I mean, this is a very important decision. It needs to be discussed, and I think what commissioner Phillips will decide will be in the best interest of the ACC."
SubscribeThere’s more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Cal football GM Ron Rivera has one goal for 2026 season: ‘Winning'.
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