Final Game Played At Cal's Memorial Stadium
BERKELEY (KCBS / CBS 5) -- Since the 1920's, Memorial Stadium has provided the place for plenty of joy when it comes to football fans of the Cal Golden Bears. The beautiful, but aging stadium was the site of Saturday's final game where the Bears fell to Washington, 16-13.
It was certainly the end of an era as a major renovation project is about to get underway.
KCBS' Mark Seelig Reports:
One of the more memorable moments in college football history occurred in the stadium; it was "the play", a five lateral kickoff return that helped Cal beat Stanford back in 1982.
Many in Saturday's game crowd said that they were sorry to see the old stadium go, but will be excited to see games in the 2012 season in a state of the art facility.
Assistant Athletic Director Bob Milano Jr. said the major facelift, which begins next year, is party due to age, but also because of safety concerns.
"We have about 20 months to do about $200 million worth of hard construction," said Milano.
He added that the project is about twice as much construction in one place that the campus has ever attempted.
According to Milano the plan is keep the ball shape, re-do the façade, update bathrooms and amenities, and to make it seismically sound, which is a good thing considering it sits on top of the Hayward Fault.
The team will play next season at The Giants home of AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Demolition is set to begin as soon as this January.
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