Cal football has locked in Ron Rivera for the long haul.
In a Wednesday email obtained by Sports Illustrated, Chancellor Rich Lyons told Cal Athletics staff that Rivera is now signed through 2028 as the program’s general manager and athletic director. The move gives Cal football a clear command structure as Rivera continues to steer football operations.
Jay Larson and Jenny Simon-O’Neill also got one-year extensions after stepping in as co-athletic directors on July 2, 2025, following former Athletic Director Jim Knowlton’s departure. Their role remains centered on Cal’s 29 other sports, while Rivera handles the football side.
Per the San Francisco Chronicle, which obtained a copy of the contract, Rivera’s deal pays him $800,000 a year, made up of a $250,000 base salary and a $550,000 “talent fee.” The contract also includes as much as $800,000 more annually in bonuses tied to wins, with the full amount available if the Bears reach 10 or more victories.
Rivera first came aboard Cal Athletics as general manager in March 2025, and he was operating under a letter agreement until signing the contract on June 17, according to the Chronicle. The new deal runs through March 2028.
Since arriving, Rivera has been a central figure in reshaping the program’s image. After a disappointing 2025 regular season, he made the decisive move of firing then-head coach Justin Wilcox following Cal’s loss to Stanford in the 128th Big Game. The Bears finished 7-6, then Rivera brought in former Oregon defensive coordinator and Cal alumnus Tosh Lupoi to take over.
Rivera and Lupoi have already made noise in roster building, landing a top-15 2026 transfer class and keeping Sagapolutele in place for his sophomore season. Cal has also picked up momentum with 2027 high school recruiting, adding commitments from multiple promising prospects.
The next test is the one that matters most: turning all that offseason buzz into results on the field. The 2026 season will be a major measuring stick for the program.
Cal opens that season Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. against UCLA at Memorial Stadium.
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Two Former Cal Bears Are Already Facing A Brutal NBA Test
The first taste of pro basketball for two former Cal guards came in the NBA summer league, where Chris Bell and John Camden found themselves trying to turn undrafted status into something more durable. Camden was on the Washington Wizards roster but did not get on the floor in the opener, while Bell got a brief run for the New Orleans Pelicans and came away without a point.
Both players at least have a path to keep pushing, since each signed a deal that can carry them into preseason training camp. For Bell and Camden, that means the summer league is less about immediate headlines than about earning another look, and the next few weeks will go a long way toward showing whether either can keep alive a route to a regular-season roster. [Read more 🡒]