BERKELEY – The California field hockey team's 2024 schedule was unveiled Wednesday. The Golden Bears' inaugural season as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference – regarded as the nation's premier field hockey conference – features 12 total games and eight home dates at Underhill Field, highlighted by hosting defending national champion North Carolina on Oct. 6.i
 
Cal begins its 2024 campaign with a season-long four-game homestand, starting with hosting Michigan State in Berkeley on Sept. 1. It will be the 10th-ever meeting between the Spartans and Bears, and the first since 2017. The homestand continues with dates against Northeastern (Sept. 5), Kent State (Sept. 6) – which will serve as Cal's "Pack The Stands Alumni and Family Weekend – and UC Davis (Sept. 15).
 
The Bears open ACC play on Sept. 20 when they travel to Harrisonburg, Virginia to take on Virginia. The Cavaliers are one of six teams on the Bears' schedule that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2023. Cal continues the coast-to-coast road trip with a date against James Madison on Sept. 22 and the first of two dates against Northern California rival UC Davis on Sept. 29.
 
Cal begins October with back-to-back home dates against ACC powerhouses Duke (Oct. 4, 4 p.m. PT) and North Carolina (Oct. 6, noon PT). The Blue Devils reached the NCAA Tournament semifinals a year ago, while the Tar Heels won their 11th NCAA title in a penalty shootout against Northwestern.
 
Cal will play the next four on the road, traveling to Boston College (Oct. 11), Syracuse (Oct. 13), Indiana (Oct. 18) and Iowa (Oct. 20).
 
Cal returns home for its final homestand of the season, hosting Louisville on Oct. 25 and Wake Forest on Oct. 27. The home date against the Cardinals will be the ninth-ever meeting between the two programs, and the first since 2018. The home finale against the Demon Deacons will be Senior Day at Underhill Field.
 
Cal wraps up the regular season in the South Bay against rival Stanford on Halloween, Oct. 31. The Thursday evening matchup against the Cardinal will be the 113th all-time and the first as members of the ACC.
 
"Cal field hockey is excited to embark on this new chapter of conference realignment and ACC competition," Donna Fong Director of Field Hockey Shellie Onstead said. "We are thrilled to be a part of such a historic conference. I've put together a challenging schedule that features stiff competition against teams from the Big Ten and MAC that will prepare us for conference play and see us ready for another run to the postseason."
 
The Bears won the 2023 America East Tournament title before falling to Miami (Ohio) in the first round of NCAA Tournament play.
 
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