It started in 1892, with a 14-10 victory by Stanford over California, and in the 120 years since the teams have opposed one another in 114 football games.
Saturday, with a noon kickoff, the two premiere universities meet for the 115th Big Game, perhaps the Bay Area's biggest sports rivalry.
Saturday's Big Game, to be played at Memorial Stadium on the University of California at Berkeley campus, celebrates (or not) another anniversary -- the 30th year since the "The Play."
During the infamous 1982 comeback play, disputed by some to this day, Cal, through a series of underhand passes, returned a Stanford post-field goal kickoff with only four seconds left for a touchdown and a 25-20 win after time had expired.
Players from the 1982 Cal team, including those who took part in The Play, will be on hand at the Big Game for a reunion and will be recognized during the game today, but it is uncertain if anyone from Stanford's 1982 team will be there.
The game this year will also take place in a new and improved venue -- the renovated Memorial Stadium, following a huge, $321 million makeover project begun in December 2010 to protect the facility in event of an earthquake.
The Fox network will televise the game nationally, and KGO 810 AM in San Francisco is set to handle the local radio broadcast as will Cal student station KALX 90.7 FM, with Isaac Wolf doing the play by play and Josh Toyofuku and Anthony Manzella as analysts.
Local
Stanford edged Cal 31-28 in last year's game at Stanford to hold onto the traditional Big Game "ax," a red and white ax blade mounted on a long plaque and held for a year by the game's winner. Stanford leads the Big Game lifetime series 57-46-11, and has won the last two games.
Cal brings a 3-4 overall record and 2-2 in the Pac-12 conference against Stanford's 4-2 overall and 2-1 conference record.
This year, Cal is coming off a pair of wins -- against UCLA and Washington State -- after falling 1-4 to begin the 2012 season. Stanford lost last weekend against Notre Dame after beating Arizona at home the week before.
