Having disposed of outclassed opponents, 18th-ranked UCLA and former longtime Pacific-12 Conference rival Cal will meet in the Empire Classic on Tuesday night at San Francisco.
The Bruins (5-1), now of the Big Ten, and Golden Bears (5-1), from the Atlantic Coast Conference, are no strangers. They have faced each other since 1921, with UCLA winning 12 of the last 13 games since 2017.
The teams both bolted from the Pac-12 before the 2024-25 season, then didn't schedule each other last season. The last time they met was on Feb. 10, 2024, when UCLA won 61-60 on the road.
The Bruins bounced back from a 69-65 neutral-site loss to then-No. 5 Arizona on Nov. 14 by earning 79-48 and 86-46 home wins over Sacramento State and Presbyterian, respectively.
UCLA coach Mick Cronin made a statement bef

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