The University of California at Berkeley football team kicks off its 2016 campaign this Friday, but the Golden Bears had to travel quite a bit farther than the average road trip.
7,422 miles to be exact. That's the distance between Berkeley's Memorial Stadium and Sydney, Australia, the site of the first college football game to be played "down under" in the famous Australian city in the almost 30 years, according to the University of Hawai'i Athletic Department.
The Golden Bears will challenge the Rainbow Warriors from Hawai'i on Saturday at noon Sydney time. That means Golden Bear fans can catch the nationally televised kickoff at 7 p.m. Friday night, according to Cal's Athletic Department.
Not only was the 15-hour plane trip to Australia a first for Cal Head Coach Sonny Dykes, it was a first for all of his players, according to Cal's Athletic Department.
"The players have been really excited to get here to Sydney and have this experience," Sonny Dykes told Cal's Athletic Department. "It's a big experience for these guys. It's something they'll remember for the rest of their lives."
The Golden Bear squad took off from San Francisco International Airport late Saturday night and will spend this week on the practice field as well as around the city of Sydney exploring some of the local treasures, according to Cal's Athletic Department.
