With all the anticipation, excitement and expectations for the season converging at Memorial Stadium on Saturday as Cal football kicks off against UCLA to usher in its new era, first-year head coach Tosh Lupoi and the Bears are focused on keeping the main thing as the main thing. And that main thing is themselves.
“I think that just depends on personal expectations,” Lupoi said Tuesday morning when asked how he balances the anticipation of this moment for Cal with the actual football played between the white lines.
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“This is a great challenge, a great Big Ten opponent coming in … and then you dial into what matters, right? Of us, how we’re playing, our opportunity to display our culture, to kick off the new era of Cal football, and don’t really put a lot into what anybody else’s expectations are. Just really declaring what we want to go accomplish and how we want to get there, and keep the main thing, the main thing, every day.”
The Bears’ dedication to being internally focused has gone so far as to extend their training camp all the way into Monday, which Lupoi conceded leaves them a little behind on their game preparation for the Bruins. But while Lupoi and the Bears remain fixated on the happenings inside the locker room, the buzz outside those walls is loud.
With Cal Athletics raking in a record $88.5 million in donations from July 2025 through June 2026, its transfer class ranking 14th in the nation per 247Sports, and team general manager Ron Rivera touting his belief in the program, a lot of optimistic eyes are watching to see if the Bears can flip the script on what’s been a long run of low-level bowl games and tepid mediocrity.
And at the heart of that optimism is sophomore quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. The anticipation, the expectations, the money, it all swirls around the 20-year-old who brought hope to Cal and its fans after throwing for 3,454 yards and 18 touchdowns in his freshman season.
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But as Sagapolutele enters his second season at the helm of the Bears’ offense, with Heisman-level expectations and future NFL draft noise circling him, the sophomore said he isn’t feeling the pressure.
“Not at all,” Sagapolutele said. “I play this game because you know the Lord has blessed me with the abilities to play it, and I’m not taking any day for granted. I’m just gonna keep working, like it’s my last day to ever play this game.”
There’s a comfort level and a larger sense of excitement he feels as the season opener draws near, Sagapolutele said, comparing how he felt making his debut last year. And in his eyes, the atmosphere is nothing but positive.
“It’s great vibes,” Sagapolutele said. Our “offense, we’ve been finding our stride, and we’ve been really rolling in practice. We’re ready to show what we can do come Saturday. And the defense (is) always putting in that work to challenge us, getting us better. It’s great vibes around the whole facility, from the players to the coaches to staff.”
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First-year offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville sees Sagapolutele’s leadership as a key.
“Communication (and) energy. That’s what I’m excited to see,” Somerville said. “He is not what we call a fake-juice guy. He naturally has a big smile, and he’s (able) to get the guys riled up. And to be able to challenge the guys, (he) puts a smile on his face, and (has) an understanding of when to get the guys going. He does it in a very natural way, and that’s one thing I absolutely love about the guy.”
But while Cal tries to block out the outside noise, the fan base remains the external things that Lupoi, and Cal football at-large, are focused on. Which is why he opened his press conference Tuesday with by asking the Cal fraternities and sororities to be in their seats by kickoff.
“That’s why we did all those off-season meetings with the presidents of those organizations,” Lupoi said. “To make sure that we make our way at 7 p.m. to get your butts in the seats. At 7:30, we want everybody in their seats, ready to go, and to join this fight with us.”
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Lupoi’s focus on the fans is a part of Cal’s broader strategy of generating the hype necessary to keep donors invested and to keep the Bears relevant in the evolving collegiate landscape. But when it comes down to brass tacks, it’s a formula that relies on winning. And with sports vacuum left behind in the wake of professional sports franchises leaving Oakland, the Bears have a chance to capture the hearts and minds of the East Bay.
“We’re in a really neat situation,” Lupoi said. “As much as it hurt my heart for the Raiders and the A’s and everyone to leave, this is the show here on this side of the bridge … this place is fully capable of being one of the elite, premier college environments.”
Cal will get the show started against UCLA on Saturday night.
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This article originally published at Cal coach Tosh Lupoi sticks to ‘the main thing’ ahead of UCLA opener.
