The Tightwad Hill logoNovember 4, 2006, Cal Bears vs. UCLAThe view from Tightwad Hill before the home opener against Maryland on September 5, 2009Panoramic view from Tightwad Hill at sunset showing a match against USC.
Tightwad Hill is the popular name for Charter Hill, the hill rising to the east of California Memorial Stadium at the University of California, Berkeley. Tightwad Hill is so named as it affords a free view of the stadium's field, allowing fans of the Golden Bears to see the game free. The hill usually has its occupants, even when the stadium sports empty seats.
Tightwad Hill is part of Charter Hill, the area behind campus that also encompasses the Big "C". Tightwad Hill rises steeply about 100 feet above the east rim of the stadium, to a relatively flat area where spectators perch. Created when Memorial Stadium was built in 1923, Tightwad Hill was created from the dirt removed during the excavation of lower Strawberry Canyon. The first time fans were seen on the hill for Cal games was on November 24, 1923, during the inaugural game at California Memorial Stadium, which Cal won by a final score of 9–0, beating Stanford for the fifth straight year and securing their fourth straight undefeated season. Due to the stadium being sold out for the game, fans and students made their way up to the hill that had been created above the east rim of the stadium.
Since then, U.C. Berkeley students, staff, faculty, and the public have enjoyed fall days on the Hill, cheering for the Golden Bears and enjoying the view of the U.C. campus, downtown Berkeley, and the central San Francisco Bay.
There are and have been many unique features on the hill over the years. Some of the those items/areas include or included:
A bench that was built in a tree over 20 years ago. Another tree fell into it during the winter of 2013/2014 and, along with other trees affected by old age and storms, were cut down the week prior to the 2014 home opener. Parts of the bench though have been saved for future use somewhere in the main seating area of the Hill.
Trash cans and recycling bins to help keep the hill looking spotless following games
Terraces formed into the steep hillside to facilitate seating
"The Tightwad 50 Club", which is the seating area below where the Tightwad Hill sign once hung from
"The Pit", which is an area filled with broken glass below the lowest seating area on the main part of the Hill
A bench that was once below The 50 Club, which was in place from 2004 to 2008. It was followed by an improved version that was used for one season in 2014 before it was destroyed by drunk frat boys during the following offseason
In 2006, the Regents of the University of California began considering a major renovation of Memorial Stadium. One plan proposed the construction of a new seating structure, the so-called "Eastside Seating Structure" on the promenade on the east side of the stadium. If this were to be built, it could block views of the field from Tightwad Hill, possibly eliminating this unusual and colorful tradition. An organization called "Save Tightwad Hill" sued the university, claiming that the Environmental Impact Report for the Stadium project did not adequately analyze the impacts of the planned improvements on historic resources and scenic views. The group eventually settled with the university. Under the terms of the agreement the university agreed in concept to preserve Tightwad Hill as an important Cal Football tradition, and to include representatives of Tightwad Hill in the design process for east side improvements.
Tightwad Hill became the sponsor of 'The Bear Raid' podcast on 11/15/2020, the same date as the debut of the show. The long-term goal of the podcast, currently hosted by 3 members of The Hill (2 of which are current and former "Governors of Tightwad") is to cover all of the Cal Athletic Programs.
California Victory Cannon
The Victory Cannon at an October 2008 game against UCLA.
To the right of the fans on the hill is the platform for the California Victory Cannon. Constructed in 2004 to serve as a replacement for the old wooden cannon platform, the concrete and stone structure was paid for through a 2003 donation campaign spearheaded by current and former UC Cannoneers, the keepers and operators of the cannon. This permanent structure debuted during the 2004 season as the new perch for the Victory Cannon. At every home game, rain or shine, the cannon is loaded and shot at each of the football team's run-outs, whenever Cal scores a touchdown, and when a Cal victory goes final. The resulting boom is heard throughout the stadium and the surrounding area, and has come to be known as "Oski's Mighty Thunder."
Starting at the Big Game of 1963, the California Victory Cannon was traditionally brought by members of the UC Rally Committee to be fired inside the stadium. When the old Pac-8 Conference banned cannons from stadiums in 1972, all other Pac-8 schools abandoned their cannons; Cal, however, maintained the tradition as the hill behind the stadium was ruled to be outside the zone governed by the ban. Since 1972, the Victory Cannon has been fired from outside of Memorial Stadium to the delight of fans on and off Tightwad Hill.[1] The cannon has only once run out of ammunition, in a 1991 home game against Pacific where Cal scored 12 touchdowns.
In addition to being fired at all Cal home games, the cannon has traveled to bowl games, such as the Holiday and Copper Bowls, as well as to away games against Washington and Indiana, even having a stand-in from the Australian town of Wagga Wagga brought to Cal's victory over Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at the College Football Sydney Cup, the opening game of the 2016 season, in Australia's national stadium ANZ Stadium.
Big Game is the name given to the California–Stanford football rivalry. It is an American college football rivalry game played by the California Golden Bears football team of the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University. Both institutions are located in the San Francisco Bay Area. First played in 1892, it is one of the oldest college rivalries in the United States. The game is typically played in late November or early December, and its location alternates between the two universities every year. In even-numbered years, the game is played at Berkeley, while in odd-numbered years it is played at Stanford.
California Memorial Stadium also known as FTX Field atCalifornia Memorial Stadium, and simply and commonly known as Memorial Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium on the west coast of the United States, located on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley, California. It is the home field for the California Golden Bears of the Pac-12 Conference.
The University of California Marching Band, usually shortened to Cal Band, is the marching band for the University of California, Berkeley. While it is administered under the auspices of the university, the Cal Band is student-run and represents Cal at sporting events and social gatherings. The name of the band is "The University of California Band" by the constitution, but is typically called "The University of California Marching Band" or "The Cal Band". When the band marches out of Memorial Stadium's North Tunnel for football pre-games, it is referred to as "The Pacesetter of College Marching Bands, the Pride of California".
The Walter A. Haas Jr. Pavilion is an indoor arena in the western United States, on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley, California. It is the home venue of the Golden Bears men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and men's and women's gymnastics teams. The arena is located in the middle of the main sports complex, overlooking Evans Diamond (baseball) and Edwards Stadium (track/soccer).
Aggie Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in the southwestern United States, located on the campus of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It is the home field of the FBS independent New Mexico State Aggies.
The California Golden Bears are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Berkeley. Referred to in athletic competition as California or Cal, the university fields 30 varsity athletic programs and various club teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division I primarily as a member of the Pac-12 Conference, and for a limited number of sports as a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). Over the course of the school's history, California has won team national titles in 13 men's and 3 women's sports and 111 team titles overall. Cal athletes have also competed in the Olympics for a host of different countries. Notable facilities used by the Bears include California Memorial Stadium (football) and Haas Pavilion. Cal finished the 2010–11 athletic season with 1,219.50 points, earning third place in the Director's Cup standings, the Golden Bears' highest finish ever. Cal did not receive any points for its national championships in rugby and men's crew because those sports are not governed by the NCAA. Cal finished 12th in the 2014-15 standings.
Evans Diamond at Stu Gordon Stadium is a college baseball park on the west coast of the United States, located on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley, California.
The 2006 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley, in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California, and were coached by Jeff Tedford.
The California Golden Bears football program represents the University of California, Berkeley in college football as a member of the Pac-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium and is coached by Justin Wilcox. Since beginning of play in 1886, the team has won five NCAA recognized national titles - 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1937 and 14 conference championships, the last one in 2006. It has also produced what are considered to be two of the oddest and most memorable plays in college football: Roy "Wrong Way" Riegels' fumble recovery at the 1929 Rose Bowl and The Play kickoff return in the 1982 Big Game.
Bear Transit is the bus service operated by the Department of Parking and Transportation of the University of California, Berkeley. Its fleet includes a combination of shuttle vans and passenger buses, with all of its passenger buses formerly owned by AC Transit. In the early 2000s the passenger buses used were refurbished by AC Transit. Bear Transit connects various areas of the university, including student housing, the main campus, the Hill area, Downtown Berkeley, and distant locations such as Lawrence Hall of Science in the East Bay Hills and the Clark Kerr Campus south of the main campus. It also provides shuttle service to the Richmond Field Station (RFS), a research facility also owned by the University, located in Richmond.
The 2007 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and were coached by Jeff Tedford.
Edwards Stadium is the track and field and soccer venue for the California Golden Bears, the athletic teams of the University of California, Berkeley.
The 1991 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season. California played their home games at Memorial Stadium. Led by head coach Bruce Snyder and quarterback Mike Pawlawski, the Golden Bears won the Florida Citrus Bowl, 37–13, finished with a 10–2 record, and climbed from being unranked in the preseason to being ranked eighth in the final AP Poll. California scored 443 points and allowed 239 points in 12 games.
California Field was an outdoor college football stadium on the west coast of the United States, located on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. It served as the home field for the California Golden Bears from 1904 through 1922.
The 2012 California Golden Bears football team represented University of California, Berkeley in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Bears were led by eleventh-year head coach Jeff Tedford and played their home games at Memorial Stadium after having played at home the previous season at AT&T Park due to reconstruction on Memorial Stadium. They were members of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference.
Levine-Fricke Field is a college softball stadium in Berkeley, California, on the campus of the University of California. Opened in 1995, it is the home field of the California Golden Bears of the Pac-12, with a seating capacity of 1,204. Levine-Fricke Field is located in the Strawberry Canyon just east of California Memorial Stadium and Witter Rugby Field.
The 2015 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bears were led by third-year head coach Sonny Dykes and played their home games at Memorial Stadium.
The 2018 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bears went 7–6 during Justin Wilcox's second year as head coach. The Bears upset #15 Washington 12–10 and defeated USC 15–14 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles to snap a 15-year losing streak to the Trojans, but at the same time, they also snapped a 18-year losing streak to USC in the Coliseum. They lost 10–7 in overtime to TCU in the 2018 Cheez-It Bowl.
The history of California Golden Bears football began in 1886, the team has won five NCAA recognized national titles - 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1937 and 14 conference championships, the last one in 2006.
The 2021 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by head coach Justin Wilcox, in his fifth year. The team played their home games at California Memorial Stadium as a member of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference.
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