Hello and welcome to Golden Nuggets, our weekly recap article where we try to highlight all the fun, funny, or interesting things you might have missed roughly over the last week across Bear Territory (the whole damn world of course). Think of it like a cheat sheet for small talk about Cal.

Ursine Updates

Back in December (and even earlier last year), we here at Golden Nuggets covered the 550-pound bear found hiding in the crawl space of an Altadena Home. Despite early offers from Cal and other schools, the Bear opted to stay home and work on fundamentals in the Angeles National Forest before returning to a different home in Altadena.

Earlier this past week, it was announced that the bear had left the Altadena home and entered the transfer portal, intent on finding his next home.

Are you familiar with the Comedy Rule of Three?

After being evicted for the second time from an Altadena crawl space, the bear has decided to post up in…a third Altadena crawl space. Word is that Tosh and Cal Football are still in the mix for the elite OT prospect who knows a thing or too about hunkering down, staying low, and protecting the QB.

Hot Links

Ron Rivera on “This is Football with Kevin Clark”

Ron Rivera went on Kevin Clark’s “This is Football this week to talk being Cal’s General Manager, the Transfer Portal, the NFL and more. Give it a listen here.

Coffee Spills Saving Lives

UC Berkeley News through their Born in Berkeley Youtube Series looked at Engineering PhD Candidate Angela Zhang’s “coffee-ring effect” research which has the potential to drastically alter medical testing. Wild! Read and watch it here.

Small Bites

UC Berkeley and Barnes and Noble have reached an agreement that would have Barnes and Noble manage the Cal Student Store, Anchor House, and the new Cal Memorial Stadium Store. No word on if they’ll be using their bowel-induction technology.
The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab is having an apparel fundraiser! Get your shirts, hats, and hoodies here!

This Week On Facebook Marketplace

Product photo of 1935 University of California Berkeley Wedgwood 16 Inch Green Platter

Does your house need a decorative plate 16” from 1935 of the Berkeley Campus and Berkeley hills surrounded by California Poppies? If so do I have the Facebook Marketplace link for you. (Someone please buy me this its gorgeous. Look at Memorial Stadium! No Evans Hall! It’s perfect!

Golden Bear Honors

Claire Weinstein (Swimming) was named the Gatorade Student Athlete of the Month
Matteo Bardana (Gymnastics) set a record on the High Bar and is now the program record-holder
Mya Mcgowan and Sophia Everett (Softball) were named to the Softball America Freshman Watch List
Renee Chatas (Field Hockey Class of ‘83) will be inducted into the 2026 USA Field Hockey Hall of Fame

Cal Athletics Recap

Cal Pros Recap

Football

Aaron Rodgers, Keenan Allen, Chris Brooks, Patrick Mekari, Craig Woodson, Jaylinn Hawkins, Jake Curhan, Elijah Hicks, and Jake Tonges all made the NFL Playoffs alongside their respective teams. Craig Woodson and Jaylinn Hawkins beat Keenan Allen’s Chargers while Elijah Hicks and the Bears beat Chris Brooks and the Packers. Patrick Mekari and the Jaguars lost to the Bills while Jake Curhan and the Panthers lost to the Rams. Jake Tonges and the Niners beat the Eagles.

Basketball

Whoops Jaylen Brown owes the refs some money. Jaylon Tyson came off the bench and scored 11 points in a loss to Utah on Monday.

Swimming

Nathan Adrian was announced as a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

Volleyball

Bella Bergmark, Carli Lloyd, and Maddie Haynes started their seasons in the League One Volleyball (LOV) this past week.

Track and Field

Hakim McMorris was ranked in the Top 10 Decathletes for the second year in a row. Georgia Hunter Bell was also named. Camryn Rogers was named the World #1 Women’s Hammer Thrower.

Next Week in Bear Territory

Men’s Basketball takes on #6 Duke in Berkeley (1/14) and North Carolina (1/17)
Women’s Basketball plays at Syracuse (1/15) and Boston College (1/18)
Men’s Tennis competes against Cal Poly (1/16) and against San Diego State (1/16)
Track and Field competes at the Spokane Sports Showcase (1/16)
Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving takes on USC (1/16), Women’s Swimming and Diving competes against UCLA (1/17)
Women’s Tennis competes in the Cal Winter Invitational (1/16-1/18)
Rugby plays Fresno State and UCLA in the Dennis Storer Classic (1/17)
Women’s Water Polo competes in Polopalooza in Fresno against Michigan and Hawaii (1/17) and UC Irvine (1/18)
Women’s Gymnastics competes against Pitt (1/18)

And so we find ourselves again at the end of Golden Nuggets. I appreciate you all reading this, and I have a ton of fun writing it. Last article’s most clicked link was the ESPN sitting down with Ron to talk about the Transfer Portal. Read it again here!

Write For California

Golden Nuggets: Bear Enters Transfer Portal…