Ranking UCLA's 3 Non-Conference Football Games

See where each of the Bruins' nonconference games ranks ahead of the football season.

May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins coach Bob Chesney reacts during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

UCLA has three non-conference football games this season, all against West Coast schools. Two involve teams from lesser conferences, and one brings back an old-school in-state rivalry.

But where do each of these matchups rank in difficulty and importance?

1. Season Opener at Cal

November 25, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter (3) catches a touchdown against UCLA Bruins defensive back Azizi Hearn (22) during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The UCLA-Cal game is easily the Bruins' most intriguing nonconference matchup in 2026. Sure, the Golden Bears aren't some overly menacing football program these days after barely making a bowl game last season, but there's even more on the line than winning and losing.

It's the renewal of an old PAC-12 (10) in-state rivalry and the first road game of the year. It's Bob Chesney's UCLA debut against a fellow first-year head coach in Cal's Tosh Lupoi. It's the game that sets the early tone for the season and tells us exactly what UCLA needs to work on and fix throughout the year.

2. Home Opener vs. San Diego State

Sep 9, 2023; San Diego, California, USA; UCLA Bruins linebacker Choe Bryant-Strother (9) battles with San Diego State Aztecs offensive lineman Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson (61) during the second half at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

San Diego State is the winningest team on UCLA's nonconference schedule. The Aztecs are coming off a nine-win campaign and have been a consistently solid and durable Group of Six program overall. In a way, that provides a test for the Bruins in their first home game of the season.

Ordinarily, a G6 team is expected to get blown out when visiting a P4 team. However, in this case, SDSU might actually have the better product. It all depends on how the game goes. If UCLA wins, it can be taken as a positive sign of progress because it would have beaten a decent opponent, especially if it moves the Bruins to 2-0. If UCLA loses, it faces the backlash of losing to a program from a "weaker" and smaller conference.

3. Hosting Nevada

Aug 30, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Nevada Wolf Pack head coach Jeff Choate looks on from the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Nevada 46-9. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

This should be UCLA's easiest non-conference game, and it carries little significance, largely because of its timing. The Wolfpack visit the Rose Bowl on October 31, after the Bruins have already played five conference games and seven games in total. That means there's a chance UCLA could be facing bowl eligibility or even ineligibility.

As far as the opponent. Nevada has fallen dormant after a few decent seasons. The Wolfpack went 13-1 in 2010, which kicked off a run of five winning seasons in six years, but it hasn't won more than three games in a season since 2021. Jeff Choate is the third different coach to attempt a revival in Reno, and he's entering the ever-pivotal third year.