Welcome to the ACC, Cal -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

California (Cal) Golden Bears

Another school we get to welcome to the ACC this season is the University of California, Berkeley. Another common name is UC Berkeley, but most people refer to them as California or Cal. The Golden Bears have departed the Pac-12, which continues to hang around with just two schools remaining.

Cal recognizes a long list of varsity sports- 27 total, 14 women's teams and 13 men's teams. The sports that Cal offers that you cannot find at Louisville are women's gymnastic, women's beach volleyball, men's gymnastics, men's water polo, men's rugby, and men's rowing.

Women's Sports Offered

-Basketball: Cal went 19-15 last season and struggled in the Pac-12. They had an early exit from the WNIT.

-Beach Volleyball: Cal went 22-14 last season and earned the 7-seed in the NCAA Tournament, falling to eventual runner-up UCLA. Florida State and Stanford are the other schools in the ACC.

-Cross Country: The Golden Bears finished eighth in the Pac-12 and earned a bid to the NCAA postseason, but did not make it out of the NCAA Regional.

-Field Hockey: Last season, Cal went 12-8. They took down Albany/UAlbany in the America East Championship to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. They fell in the opening round to Maryland.

-Golf: Cal finished 9th in the Pac-12 and earned a postseason bid. They did not make it out of the NCAA Regional round.

-Gymnastics: A 20-3 season and a 4th place finish at the NCAA Championship helped highlight one of Cal's strongest programs. They will join the newly-founded ACC Gymnastics alongside NC State, North Carolina, Pitt, Stanford, and Clemson.

-Lacrosse: The Golden Bears struggled last season and finished 5-10.

-Rowing: Not much is known about the Golden Bears in rowing other than they were an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

-Soccer: Last season, the Golden Bears finished 7-6-6 overall and 4-3-4 (fifth place) in the Pac-12. The Pac-12 did not play a conference tournament.

-Softball: Cal finished the season 37-19 and 9-13 in the Pac-12. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament but bowed out in the NCAA Regional.

-Swimming and Diving: The Golden Bears claimed the Pac-12 title and finished 4th in the NCAA Championships.

-Tennis: Cal posted strong results last season with a runner-up finish in the Pac-12. As a team, the Bears fell in the NCAA Super Regional. Three individuals fell in the opening round of the singles tournament.

-Track and Field: Cal struggled in conference play and finished 9th. A few individuals received invites to the NCAA Regional but none advanced further.

-Volleyball: The Bears posted a 16-15 finish last year with a 5-15 mark in conference play. The Pac-12 did not play a conference tournament and Cal did not make it into the NCAA Tournament.

-Water Polo: Cal went 19-7 last season, one of the best marks in the country. They earned the #3 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and fell in the championship to #1 UCLA. The only other school in the ACC to carry women's water polo is Stanford.

Men's Sports Offered

-Baseball

-Basketball

-Cross Country

-Football

-Golf

-Gymnastics

-Rowing

-Rugby

-Soccer

-Swimming and Diving

-Tennis

-Track and Field

-Water Polo

Cal brings strong programs across several sports. For sports such as field hockey, lacrosse, and gymnastics, they help add depth to a small, but growing conference. Cal seems to have played second fiddle to Stanford in a majority of their sports during their Pac-12 tenure and hope they can flip that around as both schools join the ACC.

We will cover Stanford and the sports they bring with them within a couple weeks.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!