Several Firsts for Saturday's Big Game

It's a day of firsts for Satuday's Big Game between Cal and Stanford: first Big Game in the renovated Memorial Stadium, first Big Game in recent history to be played in October and a pre-game rally that got bumped from the Greek Theatre for a Bob Dylan concert. It's also the 30th anniversary of "The Play."

Kickoff is at noon on Saturday, Oct. 20, and according to the Cal Bears website, a few tickets were still available Friday afternoon ($95 for a corner seat). For those attending in person, public transportation is recommended. Shuttle service will be operating between the dowtown Berkeley BART station and Memorial Stadium.

If you aren't going in person, the game will be broadcast on KGO radio, 810 AM, and on satellite radio (channel 137 on Sirius, channel 195 on XM).

Diehard Bears fans of a certain age will remember "The Play," the only-seconds-to-go, fans-already-on-the-field kickoff return that gave Cal a 25-20 victory over Stanford in 1982. You can see it in the accompanying video.

Fans are invited to a free pre-game rally Friday, Oct. 19, at 9 p.m. at Edwards Stadium, with doors opening at 8 p.m. This year's Big Game Rally will feature a pyrotechnic show. Guests speakers at the rally include Cal radio play-by-play announcer Joe Starkey, Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, all the Cal Spirit groups and many other student groups.

Blame the new Pac-12 configuration for some of the changes this year. The Big Game was shifted from its traditonal date, the third Thursday in November, to October — and Dylan had already booked the Greek Theatre.

This year is the 115th Big Game between traditional rivals Cal and Stanford. For more details, see Martin Snapp's article in the San Jose Mercury News and the Cal Athletics Big Game website page. Read more about The Play, and see Oakland photographer Robert Stinnett's iconic photo, in this Oakland Tribune article.

Share your favorite Big Game moments in the comments section below.

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