Syracuse football's 2026 week-two opponent: Get to know the California Golden Bears

The whole West Coast teams in the ACC thing is still going on, which means Fran Brown’s Syracuse Orange will square off against the Cal Golden Bears in a conference game this season. The good news is that the Orange won’t have to travel to the West Coast for the game. The Bears will make their first visit to the JMA Wireless Dome. They’ll visit Central New York the second week of the season in what should be a good barometer game for both teams.

Cal’s head coach: Tosh Lupoi

Similar to New Hampshire, Cal also has a new head coach in 2026. Justin Wilcox was fired at the tail end of the 2025 campaign following a 48-55 tenure, with the Bears hiring Lupoi as his replacement. The 45-year-old was a defensive lineman for the Bears in the early 2000s and began his coaching career as Cal’s defensive line coach in 2008. He spent five years as an assistant under Nick Saban at Alabama before coaching for three different NFL teams in three seasons. More recently, Lupoi was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Oregon from 2022 to 2025 before returning to his alma mater.

Last meeting with Syracuse: Syracuse 33, Cal 25 (2024)

You may recall that the Orange made the trip to Berkeley two years ago. Fernando Mendoza, who won the national championship with Indiana last season and was the top overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, was the quarterback for the Bears in that game. However, it was Kyle McCord who was the better quarterback that day, throwing for 323 yards. Syracuse had to settle for a lot of field goals in that game, but after leading 27-7 at halftime, the Orange was able to hold on for a win that wasn’t as close as the 33-25 scoreline might indicate. That game is perhaps best known as the win that gave birth to one of Fran Brown's best lines.

Series history

The 2024 meeting between Syracuse and Cal was the third all-time between the programs. The teams also met for a home-and-home series in the late 60s. Syracuse won 20-14 at home in 1967, while the Bears got revenge the following year, winning 43-0 in Berkeley.

Cal’s 2025 season

The Golden Bears got off to a promising start in 2025. They opened the season 3-0, including key non-conference wins over Oregon State and Minnesota. They also pulled out close wins over Boston College and North Carolina, sitting at 5-2 in late October. After back-to-back losses to Virginia Tech (albeit in double overtime) and Virginia, the Bears pulled off a stunning road win against Louisville in overtime. However, that was followed up with a 31-10 loss to Stanford, which is when Wilcox was fired. Cal responded with a win over SMU to close out the season at 7-5 before losing to Hawaii 35-31 in the Hawaii Bowl.

Cal’s key returning players

For Cal, everything starts with quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. As a true freshman, he stepped into Mendoza’s shoes and became one of the biggest breakout stars in the country. After throwing for more than 3,400 yards and 18 touchdowns, the Bears were lucky he wasn’t poached by another school. But he chose to return and will be Cal’s biggest key to success in 2026.

However, outside of Sagapolutele and a few veteran offensive linemen, the Bears don’t have a lot of returning starters on offense. Defensively, there aren’t a lot of familiar faces either. Outside linebacker Jayden Wayne collected three sacks last season, and he’s one of the few returning players on the Cal defense. Fellow seniors Nate Burrell and Isaiah Crosby are also projected starters, but they’ve not been impact players in the past.

Cal’s notable additions

With a new coach, it’s not surprising that the Bears went heavy in the transfer portal to rebuild their roster. Washington transfer Adam Mohammed will step in as the starting running back after playing a supporting role for the Huskies the last two seasons. At wide receiver, Sagapolutele will be throwing to Rutgers transfer Ian Strong and Ohio transfer Chase Hendricks. Strong had two productive seasons with the Scarlet Knights, while Hendricks had more than 1,000 receiving yards last year, albeit against MAC competition. Oregon transfer Cooper Perry is also a player to watch.

Defensively, the Golden Bears will be relying on several transfers to make an immediate impact. Nose tackle Jericho Johnson was one of the top recruits Cal got in the portal, although he barely played as a freshman at Oregon last season. Linebackers Solomon Williams and Tristan Jernigan both transferred from Texas A&M in search of more playing time. In the secondary, Georgia transfer Daniel Harris and Ole Miss transfer Ricky Fletcher are expected to start at cornerback, bringing size and SEC pedigree to that position. Overall, there are more than a dozen transfers on Cal’s two-deep on the defensive side of the ball.

Cal’s 2026 season outlook

There is a lot of mystery surrounding the Golden Bears heading into 2026. Of course, Cal has an answer for the most important question, with Sagapolutele at quarterback. But the surrounding cast around him and a defense full of transfers are both question marks. It also remains to be seen how Lupoi will fare in his first season as a head coach.

Cal’s schedule isn’t as brutal as it could be, although it’s no cakewalk either. Getting Clemson, Virginia Tech and Pitt at home should be helpful. However, late in the season, the Bears have to play three straight road games in a four-week span, including a trip to SMU and two long trips to NC State and Virginia. If Cal can’t hold serve at home, it’s far from a lock that the Golden Bears will go to a bowl game, even with a trusted quarterback leading the way.

When and where Cal plays Syracuse in 2026

The Orange and Golden Bears are scheduled to play on Saturday, Sept. 12. The game is set for 3:30 pm.

Prediction: Syracuse 41, Cal 38

Both teams have proven quarterbacks and defenses with a lot of question marks, so this feels like it could be a shootout. Syracuse is likely to be a slight underdog at home heading into the game. But the home crowd should give the Orange a needed lift. Plus, Fran Brown has a couple of years of experience under his belt, and that could matter against a rookie head coach. Look for a late Tripp Woody field goal to be the difference.

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