The Atlantic Coast Conference announced its Friday Football schedule for the 2026 football season on Friday morning. The full 15-game slate includes California's previously announced Week 4 Friday showdown against Clemson at California Memorial Stadium on Sept. 25. The Cal-Clemson contest will also serve as the Golden Bears' ACC home opener, the Tigers' first-ever visit to Berkeley and only the second meeting ever between the teams.

Two other Cal games previously under consideration to be contested on Fridays at SMU and NC State will now be played on back-to-back Saturdays on Oct. 24 and 31.

Cal opens its 2026 season by hosting UCLA in Week 1 at California Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5. The contest will be the first-ever nonconference game between the schools, as well as the first meeting of any type since Cal was a 33-7 winner in the 2023 regular-season finale for both teams at The Rose Bowl. Cal and UCLA first met in 1933 and have played 95 times, including at least one conference game every season for 91 consecutive campaigns from 1933-2023, while meeting twice each year from 1943-45.

The ACC's Friday Football schedule will kick off the previous night when Miami visits Stanford on Sept. 4 (6 pm PT, ESPN).

The ACC Football Championship Game will take place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday, Dec. 5 (9 am PT, ABC).

Game times, broadcast television designations and additional details for all other games of the first three weeks of the 2026 season, as well as all Thursday and Friday contests involving ACC teams will be announced on Wednesday, May 27.

2026 Cal Football Schedule (Time, TV)
Sept. 5 - UCLA
Sept. 12 - at Syracuse*
Sept. 19 - Wagner
Sept. 25 - Clemson^*
Oct. 3 - at UNLV
Oct. 10 - Virginia Tech*
Oct. 17 - Wake Forest*
Oct. 24 - at SMU*
Oct. 31 - at NC State*
Nov. 14 - at Virginia*
Nov. 21 - Stanford*
Nov. 28 - Pittsburgh*
Dec. 6 - ACC Championship (9 am, ESPN)**
All Home Games In Bold At California Memorial Stadium (Berkeley, CA); All Games On Saturdays Other Than Friday Vs. Clemson; *ACC Games; **ACC Championship At Bank Of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC