While the Pac-12 may be undergoing a metamorphosis with all but two members now in new conferences, a pair of former conference foes will be squaring off in one of basketball’s newest and premier venues.
As reported by college basketball insider John Rothstein, UCLA, now of the Big Ten, and California-Berkeley, now of the ACC, are in the final stages of locking down a neutral site matchup at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
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In recent years, the Chase Center has become a popular site for big-time college hoops and serves as the home of the Golden State Warriors. Over the past two years, the USF Dons, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Memphis Tigers, and the NCAA Tournament have played at Chase Center.
Now, that list will add a pair of teams very familiar with each other.
NEWS: UCLA and Cal are finalizing an agreement to play a neutral site game next season at the Chase Center in San Francisco, according to multiple sources.https://t.co/1NfV4TG1Ds
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 25, 2025
Next year’s UCLA roster is already shaping up to be a strong group, highlighted by the additions of Donovan Dent and Xavier Booker. The Golden Bears have been undergoing a bit of an up-and-down offseason, most notably with Andrej Stojakovic hitting the portal.
Still, they have reloaded to a degree with players like Chris Bell from Syracuse and Justin Pippen from Michigan heading to the Bay Area.
On a larger note, these types of matchups at high-profile venues like the Chase Center are important for the well-being of west coast college basketball.
With conference realignment pulling programs all over the country, it is a positive sign that big brands from the West are still looking to compete against one another.
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The Bruins, in particular, have been at the forefront of keeping West Coast basketball out west. Over the last two years, they have faced off against Gonzaga twice, took on Arizona despite their move to the Big 12, and now will face the Golden Bears of the ACC.
Before the two teams departed for separate conferences, the Bruins dominated the all-time series with the Golden Bears. Before a 2023-24 loss in Los Angeles, UCLA hadn’t lost to Cal since the 2015-16 season. Since January, 1998, UCLA is 34-17-1 against Berkley.
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