Cal begins a critical football season on Saturday with a new playbook, a rookie quarterback, an overhauled offensive backfield, holes on the lines of scrimmage and enough questions to fill Strawberry Canyon.

But in a plot twist delivered from an alternate universe, the Bears are in terrific shape financially.

OK, maybe not terrific shape. But certainly solid shape. Respectable shape. Money-isn’t-an-excuse-for-losing shape.

In the most tumultuous era in college sports history, with athletes earning paychecks and schools positioning themselves for the next wave of realignment — and a possible super league — the Bears aren’t kneecapped by a cash crunch.

What in the name of Pappy Waldorf has happened in Berkeley?

Let’s begin with revenue sharing, which has transformed the roster-building

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