As quickly because the UCLA soccer workforce’s 2026 schedule got here out, Jaivian Thomas circled week 1 on his calendar. The Bruins’ first sport in opposition to Cal stood out like no different.
For the senior operating again, a Bay Space native and Cal switch, opening the season in Berkeley means a bit of extra. Athletes and coaches continually discuss treating each sport the identical, that every contest must be seen the identical method, in order to not get too overhyped or keep away from not taking an opponent critically sufficient. On this explicit circumstance, Thomas admitted that isn’t the case.
“As soon as we discovered we [were] enjoying Cal, I marked that,” he stated throughout Media Day on Aug. 19. “I get to return dwelling, and that’s the place I began my journey. It’s a variety of love for the those that I do know there at Cal, nevertheless it’s one thing that I’m actually trying ahead to.”
“That sport’s important for me, a bit of bit additional, you understand?” senior kicker Mateen Bhaghani, who performed one season at Cal, advised reporters on the similar occasion. “Yeah, a bit of private.”
Thomas and Bhaghani will not be the one Bruins who will likely be visiting acquainted floor once they step into Memorial Stadium. UCLA’s roster has 5 Cal transfers, essentially the most from any faculty they play this season and their second-most general. A number of of these gamers are anticipated to be main contributors to the Bruins this season.
“It’s a full circle second, simply having the ability to return, enjoying at Memorial Stadium,” stated broad receiver Mikey Matthews, who performed for the Golden Bears in 2024. “I do know it's going to be a loud surroundings. So I’m very excited. That’s all I can say.”
Three of the 5 transfers — Thomas, Bhaghani and senior linebacker Ryan McCulloch — have been on Cal’s roster the final time these two groups performed in 2023. Of the three, solely Bhaghani registered any stats in that sport, making 4 subject targets and three additional factors. Cal received 33-7 on the Rose Bowl within the ultimate common season matchup for the earlier iteration of the Pac-12.
Though a lot has modified in school soccer during the last three years, that sport occurred lately sufficient that many individuals from it are nonetheless within the NCAA.
“I nonetheless acquired some guys that got here in with me my freshman yr at Cal up there, some guys that transferred in over time,” Thomas stated on Monday. “I used to be speaking mess to considered one of my pals up there yesterday. It’s simply pleasant trash speak and stuff like that, however man, I'm excited.”
The connections between Cal and this yr’s Bruins will not be even restricted to the gamers, as linebackers coach Vic So’oto coached in Berkeley from 2022 to 2025.
“He is aware of a variety of the gamers on that workforce,” head coach Bob Chesney stated of So’oto. “[He] feels assured about even those that at the moment are on the workforce from some other place that he's recruited and has a great understanding of.”
These two groups have a lot in frequent. They each have first-year head coaches — UCLA with Chesney and Cal with Tosh Lupoi, who was the defensive coordinator at Oregon when Chesney’s James Madison workforce confronted the Geese within the School Soccer Playoff final season. They each have hyped, returning quarterbacks in Nico Iamaleava and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele respectively. And so they’re former convention foes who each hope to make use of this season to start turning their fortunes round after years of struggling to emerge as critical contenders within the school soccer panorama.
Including within the former Golden Bears now enjoying in Southern California solely provides much more buildup to an already anticipated showdown.
“I attempt to simply take into consideration how I’ve been there earlier than, and I’ve performed a variety of video games [there], particularly younger,” Bhaghani advised reporters. “I had my first ever subject aim in that stadium, so it will likely be a surreal feeling, clearly, going again. However I feel as quickly as I get into my steps, take my three steps again, all the things else on the planet simply goes away.”
“It is going to undoubtedly be a snug, nostalgic feeling enjoying there.”
