BERKELEY – Following a seven-win regular season that saw the Golden Bears rank among the best defensive teams in the country, Cal has accepted a bid to play in the Cheez-It Bowl against TCU on Wednesday, Dec. 26. The contest will be televised by ESPN and kick off at 7 p.m. MT/6 p.m. PT from Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.

Cal (7-5, 4-5 Pac-12) and TCU (6-6, 4-5 Big 12) will be meeting for the first time ever.

Cal is playing in its first bowl game since 2015 when the Golden Bears beat Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl. Cal's most recent appearance in a Pac-12 affiliated bowl game came in 2011 when the Bears were defeated by Texas in the Holiday Bowl.

 "It's an honor and a testament to all of the hard work our players, coaches and staff have put in to be in the postseason," head coach Justin Wilcox said. "We are excited to represent the University of California and the Pac-12 at the Cheez-It Bowl, and we look forward to a tremendous experience for both our team and our fans. It's a great reward for our performance in the regular season, and it's exciting to know that this group of young men will have the opportunity to play one final time together."

Cal began the 2018 season by winning each of its three non-conference games but had to bounce back from an 0-3 start in Pac-12 play to earn a postseason bid. The Golden Bears won four of their next five games with victories at Oregon State and against Pac-12 champion Washington starting the run. After a hard-fought loss at Washington State, Cal knocked off USC for the first time since 2003. The Bears returned home to beat Colorado before ending the regular season with a loss to Stanford.

TCU won its final two games of the regular season at Baylor and against Oklahoma State at home to become bowl eligible. The Horned Frogs also had Big 12 home wins against Iowa State and Kansas State after non-conference victories over Southern and at SMU to open the campaign.

Cal has an all-time bowl record of 11-10-1 dating back to its first bowl game, a 28-0 victory over Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 1921.

Cal has played twice in the game now known as the Cheez-It Bowl with victories in both contests. The Bears defeated Wyoming, 17-15, at the 1990 Copper Bowl when the game was played at Arizona Stadium in Tucson and knocked off Virginia Tech, 52-49, at the 2003 Insight Bowl played when Chase Field was known as Bank One Ballpark.

Cheez-It Bowl Ticket Information

Cal Athletics donors and season-ticket holders will receive a personal email with information on how to purchase tickets starting as early as Monday, Dec. 3 at 9 a.m. Bowl game tickets for the Cal students and the general public be available through CalBears.com/tickets or by calling (800) GO BEARS (462-3277) and pressing option 3 to speak with a Gold Standard representative. Student tickets go on sale Monday, Dec. 3 at 9 a.m., and public sales start Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 12 noon.
 

Cal Bowl History

Date                         Bowl                              Result
Jan. 1, 1921                  Rose Bowl                            Cal 28, Ohio State 0
Jan. 1, 1922                  Rose Bowl                            Cal 0, Washington & Jefferson 0
Jan. 1, 1929                  Rose Bowl                            Georgia Tech 8, Cal 7
Jan. 1, 1938                  Rose Bowl                            Cal 13, Alabama 0
Jan. 1, 1949                  Rose Bowl                            Northwestern 20, Cal 14
Jan. 2, 1950                  Rose Bowl                            Ohio State 17, Cal 14
Jan. 1, 1951                  Rose Bowl                            Michigan 14, Cal 6
Jan. 1, 1959                  Rose Bowl                            Iowa 38, Cal 12
Dec. 15, 1979               Garden State Bowl               Temple 28, Cal 17
Dec. 31, 1990               Copper Bowl                        Cal 17, Wyoming 15
Jan. 1, 1992                  Citrus Bowl                          Cal 37, Clemson 13
Dec. 31, 1993               Alamo Bowl                          Cal 37, Iowa 3
Dec. 25, 1996               Aloha Bowl                           Navy 42, Cal 38
Dec. 26, 2003               Insight Bowl                         Cal 52, Virginia Tech 49
Dec. 30, 2004               Holiday Bowl                        Texas Tech 45, Cal 31
Dec. 22, 2005               Las Vegas Bowl                    Cal 35, BYU 28
Dec. 28, 2006               Holiday Bowl                        Cal 45, Texas A&M 10
Dec. 31, 2007               Armed Forces Bowl              Cal 42, Air Force 36
Dec. 27, 2008               Emerald Bowl                      Cal 24, Miami, Fla. 17
Dec. 23, 2009               Poinsettia Bowl                    Utah 37, Cal 27
Dec. 28, 2011               Holiday Bowl                        Texas 21, Cal 10
Dec. 29, 2015               Armed Forces Bowl              Cal 55, Air Force 36