BERKELEY – The California women's soccer team announced its 2026 fall schedule Wednesday, unveiling an 18-match slate that features 10 contests to be played at Edwards Stadium. The full schedule can be seen here.
 
The Golden Bears head into their third season as members of the ACC, which is widely regarded as the top conference in the sport. Nine ACC programs made the NCAA Championship in 2025, including three of the four College Cup teams. Cal faced both national champion Florida State and runner-up Stanford during the regular season.
 
The 2026 schedule features five schools that ended last year in the United Soccer Coaches top 25 poll and nine NCAA Championship teams. Most notably, Cal will take on two top seeds from last year's tournament, visiting the Cardinal on Oct. 16 and hosting Notre Dame on Oct. 29.
 
The Bears will begin the year at home hosting back-to-back WAC Tournament champion Cal Baptist in the season opener on Aug. 12 before going on the road to take on three WCC opponents in seven days, including champion Pepperdine.
 
ACC play begins on the road at North Carolina (Sept. 10) against the Tar Heels, who advanced to the Elite Eight round of last year's NCAA Championship.
 
Last season the Bears posted an 8-3-8 overall record and finished eighth in the ACC standings with 16 points after posting a 4-2-4 conference record. They earned a pair of signature results, coming back from a two-goal deficit to draw both No. 1 Virginia at home and the eventual national champion Seminoles on the road.
 
This year Cal returns 17 members of the 2025 roster, including six everyday starters.