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CALIFORNIA BEARS
AT&T Park is bear territory in 2011

By Kyle McRae

After playing the last 88 seasons and every home game at Memorial Stadium since the facility opened for the 1923 Big Game, Cal will host its home games outside Berkeley for the first time ever in 2011 while Memorial Stadium undergoes an extensive renovation and retrofit.

San Francisco's AT&T Park, home of the reigning World Series champion San Francisco Giants, will become Bear Territory this fall. The Golden Bears, along with their legion of fans, are coming to the shores of McCovey Cove.

While Saturdays in Berkeley might seem a little strange this fall without thousands of Cal fans descending upon Strawberry Canyon (and the few parking spaces in the vicinity of Memorial Stadium) the excitement will move across the bay for one season as the Bears look to create a little magic of their own at AT&T Park.

"We are thrilled to be playing our 2011 home games at AT&T Park," said Cal football head coach Jeff Tedford. "The facility is one of the finest sports venues in the world and is located in a nearby and desirable location in San Francisco. It is a terrific setting for college football and our team and fans had a fantastic experience there during the 2008 Emerald Bowl victory against the University of Miami. We look forward to our fans helping us create a tremendous home field advantage at AT&T Park in 2011 while enjoying amenities on par with what the renovated Memorial Stadium will feature when we return in 2012."

"I am excited to say that we will play our 2011 home football games at AT&T Park, one of our country's premier athletic venues," said Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour. "While our own Memorial Stadium is undergoing much-needed improvements, I believe we have selected the best possible location to support the needs of our players, coaches and fans. Both Cal Athletics and the staff at AT&T Park are committed to work together to make the stadium feel like a true home away from home for the Golden Bears."

Although AT&T Park will be the new home of Cal football in 2011, the venue is not new to football, with an NCAA bowl game having been played at the facility for each of the last nine seasons. Now known as the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, the annual game has grown in popularity over the years. Four of the last five bowls have been sellouts, and in nine years the event has generated more than $100 million in economic impact for the city of San Francisco and local youth sports. The 2009 contest featuring USC and Boston College was ESPN's third-most-watched postseason game of all time.

The Bears have already made some of their own football history at AT&T Park, having defeated Miami (Fla.) in the 2008 Emerald Bowl that drew a bowl-record crowd of 42,268. The Bears gave their fans all they could ask for in that contest with a dramatic 24-17 victory that wasn't decided until the waning moments. Zack Follett forced a fumble deep in Miami territory with 3:28 remaining in a tie game, before then true freshman and now senior Anthony Miller scored the go-ahead touchdown on his first career catch just moments later.

Cal will look to make more AT&T Park history during five home games in 2011. The schedule is highlighted by visits from Pac-12 rival USC on Thursday, Oct. 13, 6 p.m. PT, and conference newcomer Utah on Saturday, Oct. 22. The Bears will also host Presbyterian in their home season opener on Saturday, Sept. 17, as well as Washington State (Sat., Nov. 5) and Oregon State (Sat., Nov. 12). All kickoff times other than USC will be determined at a later date once television broadcast arrangements have been secured.

"From our standpoint, it's a pairing of two venerable institutions and, in many ways, for us, it's a neighborly act," said Larry Baer, San Francisco Giants president and chief operating officer. "We do not plan on being a football venue, that is not long-term every year, but certainly if we can help out, we can help the University of California in 2011 in a way that allows for a compelling football experience for the fans.

"We've seen the plans for the new Memorial Stadium for Cal, and it's our goal to simulate that experience in 2011 so that Cal fans can take a step toward what they will be experiencing in 2012," added Baer. "All the amenities, the concessions and the customer service that we try so hard to do, we're going to make sure it's up to par with expectations for the new stadium starting in 2012."

TICKETS

Season tickets for the 2011 Cal football home schedule are now on sale to the general public. Tickets can be purchased online at CalBears.com or by calling the Cal Athletic Ticket Office at (800) GO BEARS (462-3277).

HOW TO GET TO AT&T PARK

For fans who have been heading to Strawberry Canyon in Berkeley for years to see their beloved Cal football team play on Saturdays in the fall, here's how you get to AT&T Park. The best way to get there is to plan ahead and consider all the transportation options available to you.

By automobile
From the Peninsula/South Bay
Take I-280 north (or US-101 north to I-280 north) to the Mariposa Street exit. Turn right on Mariposa, then left on Third Street to parking lots.

From the East Bay
Take I-80/Bay Bridge to the Fifth Street exit. Bear right onto Fifth. Turn right onto Folsom and right onto Fourth. Continue on Fourth Street to parking lots.

From the North Bay
Take US-101 south, over the Golden Gate Bridge, to the Marina Boulevard exit. Continue on Marina past Fort Mason and turn left onto Bay Street. Continue on Bay and turn right on the Embarcadero. Continue on the Embarcadero under the Bay Bridge until it turns into King Street. Turn left onto Third Street (the ballpark is on your left) and continue across the bridge to parking lots.

By public transportation
AT&T Park is highly accessible by several public transportation options, including AC Transit, BART, CalTrain and MUNI. Ferry service is also provided by Golden Gate Transit's Larkspur ferry, the Oakland-Alameda ferry and the Vallejo ferry. Check websites of the listed public transportation agencies for more details.