Game Time, TV Set for Cal’s ACC Opener Vs. Boston College

Three of Cal’s first four games – including the Bears’ next game on Saturday at San Diego State – were scheduled to be played at night, but Cal’s ACC opener will be played in sunshine.

The ACC announced on Monday that the Golden Bears’ first conference game, to be played on Saturday, September 27, at Boston College’s Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, will start at 12:20 p.m. Pacific time (3:30 p.m. Boston time), and will be televised on the ACC Network.

The Golden Bears are 3-0 in nonconference games, with one nonconference game remaining against San Diego State this coming Saturday night. Cal has been made a 12.5-point favorite over the Aztecs. The Bears’ remaining eight games after that will all be against ACC opponents, starting with the cross-country trip to Boston College in two weeks.

Boston College is 1-2 overall and 0-1 in ACC play after losing its ACC opener to Stanford 30-20 on Saturday. The Eagles beat Fordham 66-10 in their season opener, then lost to Michigan State 42-40 on the road before the surprising loss to Stanford.

“We were terrible tonight,” Boston College coach Bill O’Brien said of the loss to the Cardinal.

While Cal plays its final nonconference game on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at San Diego State (1-1), Boston College has a bye this week, giving it the advantages of having two weeks to prepare for Cal as well playing at home, where the Eagles are 7-1 since the start of the 2024 season.

Cal is coming off a 27-14 victory over Minnesota in Berkeley. The Bears seem to have a favorable ACC schedule this season since they do not play Miami, Clemson, Florida State or Georgia Tech, four teams that look like ACC title contenders.

Cal and Boston College have played each other only once in football, and Boston College won that game 21-15 in 1986 on the Eagles’ home field. Cal went 2-9 that season, and Boston college wound up 9-3.

Cal was picked to finish 15th in the 17-team ACC in the 2025 preseason media poll, while Boston College was picked to finish 13th.

The Eagles finished with 7-6 records each of the past two seasons but have not had a winning conference record since 2009. The 2009 season is also the last time Cal had a winning record in conference play.

The difference is that Boston College wound up with .500 conference records eight times since 2009, while Cal has had losing conference marks in each of the past 15 seasons.

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Bears' muted reaction to victory a good sign

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