Cal Football Lands at No. 12 in Preseason ACC Media Poll

First-year coach Tosh Lupoi has the Bears three slots higher than they were projected in the 2025 poll

Cal coach Tosh Lupoi | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cal was picked 12th in the annual ACC football media poll, revealed by the conference on Tuesday. 

The poll was compiled off votes from 188 media members credentialed for the July 15-17 ACC Football Kickoff event at Charlotte, NC.

Miami was made the overwhelming favorite to claim the ACC crown, named first on 165 ballots for a comfortable edge over SMU, Louisville and Clemson. 

The Hurricanes are coming off a 13-3 season that included wins over Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff before a 27-21 defeat to Indiana in the national championship game.

The Bears’ place among 17 ACC teams represents a modest climb from a year ago, when voters projected Cal to finish 15th. The Bears wound up in a five-way tie for seventh at 4-4 in the final 2025 conference standings.

The season before, in their ACC debut, the Bears were picked 10th, and even drew a pair of first-place votes. They couldn’t meet those modest expectations, finishing in a three-way for for 14th.

So, the media voters don’t always get it right.

In 2025, they picked Clemson to win the conference title — securing 167 of 183 first-place votes. The Tigers finished in that five-way share of seventh place. 

Meanwhile, Virginia was a surprise winner of the 2025 title at 7-1 after being pegged 14th in the preseason poll.

The year before Florida State was a narrow first-place choice of the voters, ahead of Clemson, Miami and North Carolina State. SMU, a first-year entry into the conference, went 8-0 to win the title, with Clemson and Miami landing second and third place. 

Florida State wound up alone in last place at 1-7, their only victory coming at the expense of Cal, a 14-9 decision at Tallahassee.

2026 ACC FOOTBALL MEDIA POLL

1. Miami (165) - 3159
2. SMU (6) - 2794
3. Louisville (4) - 2569
4. Clemson (7) - 2520
5. Georgia Tech (2) - 2006
6. Virginia - 1981
7. NC State - 1964
8. Virginia Tech - 1962
9. Pitt - 1740
10. Duke - 1452
11. Florida State (3) - 1439
12. California - 1392
13. Wake Forest - 1103
14. Syracuse - 878
15. North Carolina - 831
16. Boston College - 491
17. Stanford (1) - 483

* First-place votes in parentheses
188 media voters

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