10 facts about Cal

2. The university's colors are gold and blue — the former in honor of the State of California and its "gold" heritage and the latter an admitted borrowing of "Yale" blue.

3. While BYU has its block "Y" overlooking the Provo campus, Cal counters with its "Big C," constructed in 1905 on Charter Hill, overlooking Memorial Stadium.

4. Cal's primary fight song is titled "Big C" — written to commemorate the aforementioned cement letter. A musical arrangement of "Big C" was "borrowed" by UCLA and with new lyrics was entitled "Sons of Westwood," soon becoming a popular — and unsuccessfully Cal-contested — Bruin fight song. Meanwhile, Cal lists some 20 other fight songs besides "Big C," including the likes of "Stanford Jonah," "California Indian Song" and "California Drinking Song."

5. The "Golden Bear" nickname stems from a Cal track team tour in the 1890s, with the squad sporting a blue silk banner bearing a golden grizzly bear, the state symbol. The team's successes prompted a music professor to write a song "The Golden Bear," and the nickname stuck.

6. The Cal football team won national titles in 1920 and 1937 and boasts 14 bowl appearances (including eight Rose Bowls), 64 first-team All-American selections and 20 National Foundation Hall of Fame honorees. Former Bear standouts include former No. 1 NFL draft pick/quarterback Steve Bartkowski and current standout tight end Tony Gonzalez.

7. Memorial Stadium — previously crowned by Sports Illustrated as boasting "the best view of any college stadium" — features not only a celebrated student stunt-card section at home football games but the University of California Marching Band. Dating back to 1889 when it was called the R.O.T.C. Cadet Band, the band is famous for its signature "Flying Wedge" formation in pregame festivities.

8. Cal introduced its "Victory Cannon" for the 1963 "Big Game" against Stanford, with the cannon fired at the start of each game, after each Bear score and at the end of each victory. In a rout of Pacific in 1991, the cannon ran out of ammo after 12 Cal touchdowns. Originally a sideline staple for Cal games, it was permanently placed on Tightwad Hill above Memorial Stadium in 1971.