SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – The Cal football team jumped on a jet at San Francisco International Airport late Saturday night and after about 15 hours in the air were halfway around the world in Sydney beginning to make final preparations to play Hawai'i in the College Football Sydney Cup. The first college football game of the 2016 season and the first to ever be played in the world-famous Australian city will be televised live by ESPN on Friday, Aug. 26 (10 pm ET/7 pm PT) with kickoff local time in Sydney slated for Noon on Saturday, Aug. 27.

"The players have been really excited to get here to Sydney and have this experience," head coach Sonny Dykes said. "I don't think we've had a player on our team that's been to Australia before. It's the first time for me, too, and I know we're all excited. It's a big experience for these guys. It's something they'll remember for the rest of their lives."

"We're excited to be here and to put on a show for Australian fans," Tre Watson added. "We're going to have an amazing week."

The amazing week started when the Golden Bears touched down in Sydney at about 7:30 am local time and immediately hopped on buses for the University of New South Wales, where Cal conducted a light practice that former Cal and NFL star Marshawn Lynch was on hand to take in. After posing for a post-practice team photo, the team spent a couple of hours at the famous Bondi Beach taking in the sights and jumping in the waters of the South Pacific.


James Looney enjoyed the waves Monday at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

Then it was off to the Sydney Westin team hotel to check in, eat dinner and conduct a series of meetings before finally getting to bed nearly 48 hours on the calendar after they took off at SFO including the 17-hour time difference between Berkeley and Sydney.

Cal will stay busy the remainder of the week with the week's schedule including practices each day leading up to the game, a press conference at the Sydney Opera House, a ferry ride in the Sydney Harbour, a climb of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a walk-thru at ANZ Stadium and another trip to Bondi Beach.