This weekend, Cal’s Memorial Stadium will transform into a football festival, hosting a trio of high‑stakes contests that blend college power with Bay Area high‑school prestige.
On Friday, September 25, the stadium will welcome a much‑anticipated showdown between the Cal Bears and the No. 23 Clemson Tigers, a game that kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and offers the Bears a chance to bolster a 3‑0 start while catching the attention of national poll voters.
The following day, Saturday, September 26, the spotlight shifts to the high‑school arena, where a doubleheader will pit De La Salle against Marin Catholic in a clash that celebrates more than just a rivalry.
A Legacy Under Pressure
De La Salle, the alma mater of Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi, enters the contest riding the memory of its 151‑game winning streak that spanned 1992 to 2004. Though unranked in the 2026 preseason polls, the team remains a cultural touchstone for the region.
Marin Catholic, a program that has produced NFL quarterbacks Jared Goff and Nick Rolovich and captured state titles in 2021 and 2023, will meet Saint Mary’s of Stockton at 11 a.m. in the opening high‑school matchup, setting the tone for a day of competitive fireworks.
Later that afternoon, De La Salle will test its mettle against Centennial High School of Corona, California, a squad that finished the previous season 11‑2 and currently holds the No. 11 national ranking.
Centennial arrives with a reputation as a top‑ranked program in the CIF Southern Section, while De La Salle’s historic dominance continues to loom large, creating a narrative of tradition versus present‑day elite competition.
The entire weekend unfolds over roughly 21 hours, with the artificial turf of Memorial Stadium providing a relentless stage for each contest, from the college clash to the back‑to‑back high‑school doubleheader.