What athletic conference is UC Berkeley part of?
I’ve been researching colleges in California and UC Berkeley is one of my top choices. I keep hearing about different athletic conferences and league names and it’s all a little confusing.
Can anybody tell me which athletic league or conference UC Berkeley’s sports teams compete in? If it changed recently, how does that impact their school spirit or sports culture? I’m thinking about going to games if I end up there, so I’d love to know more.
Can anybody tell me which athletic league or conference UC Berkeley’s sports teams compete in? If it changed recently, how does that impact their school spirit or sports culture? I’m thinking about going to games if I end up there, so I’d love to know more.
1 week ago
•
52 views
Kathy Jayanth
• 1 week ago
Advisor
UC Berkeley's sports teams, known as the California Golden Bears, have traditionally competed in the Pac-12 Conference for many years. However, there has been a major shift recently. Starting in the 2024–2025 academic year, UC Berkeley is moving from the Pac-12 to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
This is a significant change because the ACC is largely made up of schools on the East Coast, while UC Berkeley is on the West Coast. For students, this means you'll see different opponents coming to campus and some rivalries (especially local ones, like with Stanford) might play out in different ways or less frequently depending on the sport. However, UC Berkeley has stated that they’ll maintain traditional rivalries with nearby schools whenever possible.
In terms of school spirit, big changes like this definitely get students talking, but Cal’s games—especially football and basketball—remain a huge part of campus life. It's still the norm for students to rally behind the Bears, tailgate on game days, and fill up the stands, regardless of conference alignment.
As an example, if you decide to attend UC Berkeley, you might go to a football game and see Cal facing teams like Clemson or Florida State instead of longtime West Coast rivals like Oregon or USC. The opponent vibe might be a little different, but the energy will still be high—Golden Bear pride is always strong at Berkeley!
So, in short: UC Berkeley is now in the ACC as of 2024. The change mostly impacts who the teams compete against, but you’ll still find plenty of school spirit and some fantastic sporting events to attend on campus.
This is a significant change because the ACC is largely made up of schools on the East Coast, while UC Berkeley is on the West Coast. For students, this means you'll see different opponents coming to campus and some rivalries (especially local ones, like with Stanford) might play out in different ways or less frequently depending on the sport. However, UC Berkeley has stated that they’ll maintain traditional rivalries with nearby schools whenever possible.
In terms of school spirit, big changes like this definitely get students talking, but Cal’s games—especially football and basketball—remain a huge part of campus life. It's still the norm for students to rally behind the Bears, tailgate on game days, and fill up the stands, regardless of conference alignment.
As an example, if you decide to attend UC Berkeley, you might go to a football game and see Cal facing teams like Clemson or Florida State instead of longtime West Coast rivals like Oregon or USC. The opponent vibe might be a little different, but the energy will still be high—Golden Bear pride is always strong at Berkeley!
So, in short: UC Berkeley is now in the ACC as of 2024. The change mostly impacts who the teams compete against, but you’ll still find plenty of school spirit and some fantastic sporting events to attend on campus.
Kathy Jayanth
Berkeley, CA
UC Berkeley | Economics & Slavic Studies
Experience
5 years