My best friend from my hometown goes to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Being on opposite sides of the country makes it hard for us to see each other outside of Thanksgiving, summer, and winter breaks. But this time, we had one more opportunity: fall break. While UC Berkeley does not have a fall break, UNC does, and she came back home for the week.
Even better, now that Berkeley is part of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), our schools compete against each other in sports. Last winter, I was able to visit UNC to watch a basketball game between Cal and UNC, which unfortunately ended in a big loss for us. But this time, the chance for redemption arrived. Cal and UNC were playing a home football game on October 17, 2025—our only Friday night game of the season—and I could not have been more excited.
When my friend got off at the BART station, I immediately took her to the Campanile to show her the entire campus. The breeze at the top made the view even better. As we walked around, we noticed many people wearing the Tar Heel Blue of UNC merch. There was one family where the dad wore Cal gear while the mom and son wore UNC sweaters. It turned out the son was also visiting for his fall break — what a coincidence! After my friend said “Go Heels” to them, I yelled “Go Bears” to the dad, and we all laughed and bonded over the friendly rivalry.
We grabbed turkey sandwiches from Mezzo and started getting ready for the game. I wore my Cal shirt while my friend proudly sported her UNC sweater. Once the game started, we were both thrilled. The Cal Marching Band’s performance made the hike up to the stadium completely worth it. The first two quarters were a close battle between the Bears and the Tar Heels, with the Golden Bears leading by a bit.
During halftime, we sat down to rest and enjoyed watching the Cheer Team and the Band perform. The Cal Band played a medley of Kendrick Lamar’s top hits—we’re both huge fans—and the crowd loved it. At one point, Oski spotted my friend sitting in the student section, the only person in light blue among a sea of navy, and came over to take a picture with her. It was hilarious and drew a lot of attention — definitely a memorable moment.
As the game went on, Cal began to secure the win. We were doing all the school chants, and every time we cheered, my friend would look a little disappointed—and when UNC scored, she would get her turn to cheer. When the game ended with a Cal victory, my friend jokingly called our walk back to my apartment her “walk of shame,” but that didn’t stop me from giving her the full Berkeley experience.
We went to Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, joining the long line of people craving a late-night bite. While waiting, we saw a few UNC alumni walk by in their Tar Heel gear, cheering each other on and saying, “There’s always next time.”
Overall, it was more than just a fun game: it was a meaningful way to reconnect with my best friend and share the Berkeley spirit with her. Hosting a guest at a Cal football game reminded me how special our school traditions are. Seeing alumni return and students cheering together made us imagine attending future games after graduation. It truly felt like a perfect crossover between a Golden Bear and a Tar Heel.