In the new world order of college sports realignment, there are a lot of introductions needed. So, it is time for introducing the ACC to Cal and Stanford football. They were two of the foundational members of the old Pac 12 conference and now they are preparing to head east…a lot.
The Bay Area Tandem
Cal and Stanford are a package deal. As the Pac-12 melted down over the last year, Stanford, Cal, Washington State, and Oregon State were the last four left. In the game of musical chairs, WAZZU and OSU were left with nowhere to sit. Stanford and Cal got the invitation from the ACC. But the school administrators made sure that wherever their futures were, they went together.
The schools are less than an hour apart from each other in California’s Bay Area. Their football rivalry dates back to 1892 with Stanford holding a 65-50 edge. There have also been 11 ties.
Knowing the Schools
Both are elite academic schools, making them a good fit for the ACC. Stanford is ranked fourth in the current US News and World Report rankings. Cal is tied for 15th with UCLA, making them both the highest-ranked public schools in the country.
Stanford head coach Troy Taylor always emphasizes that part of the program. “Our graduation rate for football players at Stanford is 97%. When they come to Stanford, they’re deciding to take their future and present, academically, seriously. Our guys go on to do great things.”
At ACC Kickoff, we asked Cal head coach Justin Wilcox about the new conference affiliation. Based on the low probability of folks on the East Coast being awake at 1 am watching “Pac-12 After Dark,” what would he want ACC fans to know about Cal? “We’ve got a rich tradition. Reaches back a long, long time. Some great players and great teams throughout our history. It’s a proud university. We take a lot of pride in the way the guys pursue their education, what they do after football, but also the product we put on the field.”
The Logistics
Taylor also said keeping the Bay Area rivalry intact was important. “One of the things that makes college football great are the rivalries that have went on for a long time. I think it’s important with realignment, all these things that happen, the rivalries are something that’s really important,” Taylor said. “We got a great relationship and rivalry against Cal, right there in the Bay Area. We’re excited we were able to come over together.”
Of course, the logistics of the travel will be a topic all year. Wilcox says his administration has put it all together. “Looking from 10,000 feet, we leave a day earlier. We make sure we got a big plane, the biggest one that Delta makes. The big lie-down suites. There’s going to be a good number of players who are really, really comfortable,” Wilcox said. “We’ll make sure the guys are well-fed, Gatorade and water.”
Wilcox said the players would be more comfortable in their travel than they were sitting on the side of the stage at the media event, waiting to meet the media. He added, “The travel will not be an excuse to not play well.”
