Aug. 16, 2012
BERKELEY - The Cal football team returned home Thursday when the Golden Bears practiced at a renovated Memorial Stadium for the first time since the team's most recent home game in the facility against Washington on Nov. 27, 2010. After the workout, head coach Jeff Tedford and several of the team's players talked to the media and here's some of what they had to say.
HEAD COACH JEFF TEDFORD
On Thursday's return to Memorial Stadium
"I know the players are very excited. It's been so long since we've been in here. To practice in here again ... it feels like forever. They're really excited to be in here. We always talk about our house, about owning our house. It takes on a new meaning when you actually get in your house. The players are really excited about it, but one of the things that I want to make really clear to them is this is beautiful, this is great, but the product that goes on out there between the lines is the important part."
On what the renovated Memorial Stadium means to him
"It means there's been a lot of hard work, a lot of devotion that has gone into this project. Being here for 10 years and knowing where it started to now there's a great sense of pride about it. Do I expect every player to understand that who hasn't been here the whole time, maybe not? But I know there are a good percentage of players on this team that do understand that this has been a big project for a long time. They're all very proud of it; I'm very proud of it. But again, it's all going to come down to what happens on the field. The stadium is beautiful, and I appreciate everyone's hard work to get it here, but it still comes down to what goes on between the lines."
On the stadium's ability to help recruiting
"I don't think there's any doubt about that. Everything that we've done here with the stadium or with the High Performance Center is very impressive. As far as the facility race is concerned I think we've addressed that issue. That's not the only thing in recruiting, that's a piece of recruiting, but it's not the only thing in recruiting."
JUNIOR WIDE RECEIVER KEENAN ALLEN
On returning to Memorial Stadium
"I'm definitely excited to get in here for the first day."
On his first impressions of the renovated Memorial Stadium
"It's just amazing. They got it done ... I love it."
On the team's reaction Wednesday night when they were told they would be practicing in the stadium Thursday
"There was excitement. As soon as coach Tedford told us, we were ready to go, pumped. When it's one of those things like that, you don't really need motivation any more. We're making it a new spot, we're ready to go and it's our home. So, we're going to come out here and try to make it good."
SENIOR TAILBACK ISI SOFELE
On returning to Memorial Stadium
"I just came out here and got the goose bumps. We did a lot chant `who's house is this, our house.' We were doing it with a lot of excitement. It's just good to see everyone out here again. It's like our freshman year, my first year when we came here. I just love to be back out here again."
On how he feels on the new field
"Man, I feel like Usain Bolt out here, faster. I feel fast out here. Our wide receivers, everybody else, our backfield guys are looking faster out here. It just feels good."
On the team's depth at tailback
"It will take a load off of me; give the other guys a chance to get up. They won't focus too much on me."
On whether he is any different physically than in 2011
"I've gained a couple of pounds; I'm 195 or 200 ... on a good day. I feel faster; I feel like my vision has gotten better. I'm going to come out here and see what happens."
Cal will open the 2012 season against Nevada at a renovated Memorial Stadium on Sat., Sept. 1 (Noon PT). The contest will be televised live by Pac-12 Networks, and the radio broadcast will be available on the Cal IMG Sports Radio Network with KGO 810 in San Francisco serving as the flagship station.
Tickets for Cal's return to a renovated Memorial Stadium in 2012 are currently on sale by calling (800) GO BEARS (800-462-3277), online at CalBears.com, or in person at the Sales and Service Center located in the Haas Pavilion Club Room Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. PT. More season-ticket information is available at CalBears.com. For updates on the progress of the renovation and retrofit of Memorial Stadium, visit californiamemorialstadium.com.
In addition to the Sept. 1 season-opener vs. Nevada, Cal's 2012 seven-game home schedule includes contests against Pac-12 foes Arizona State, Oregon, Stanford, Washington and UCLA, as well as a non-conference game against Southern Utah.
| 2012 CAL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE |
| DATE | OPPONENT | SITE | TIME | TV |
| Sat. | Sept. 1 | Nevada | Noon PT | Pac-12 Networks |
| Sat. | Sept. 8 | Southern Utah | Noon PT | Pac-12 Networks |
| Sat. | Sept. 15 | at Ohio State | Noon ET/9 a.m. PT | ABC |
| *Sat. | Sept. 22 | at USC | TBA | Pac-12 Networks |
| *Sat. | Sept. 29 | Arizona State | TBA | TBA |
| *#Sat. | Oct. 6 | UCLA | TBA | TBA |
| *Sat. | Oct. 13 | at Washington State | TBA | TBA |
| *Sat. | Oct. 20 | Stanford | TBA | TBA |
| *Sat. | Oct. 27 | at Utah | TBA | TBA |
| *Fri. | Nov. 2 | Washington | 6 p.m. PT | ESPN2 |
| *Sat. | Nov. 10 | Oregon | TBA | TBA |
| *Sat. | Nov. 17 | at Oregon State | TBA | TBA |
| !Fri. | Nov. 30 | Pac 12 Championship Game | TBA | TBA |
Home Games in Bold at Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA; *Pac-12 Game; !Pac-12 Championship Game at Home Site of Pac-12 Regular-Season Champion; #Homecoming/Memorial Stadium Rededication/Joe Roth Game; All Times Pacific
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