California women’s rowing will open its 2026 season by sending two varsity eight crews, “Cal Blue” and “Cal Gold,” to the California Challenge Cup. The event, hosted by UC Irvine in Newport Beach this Saturday, will feature top boats from Southern California schools.
The competition uses a rotating dual race format over a distance of about 1400 meters. Cal Blue will compete against Long Beach State at 7:30 a.m. PT, followed by Cal Gold facing UC Irvine at 7:35 a.m. in the first round.
In the second round, Cal Blue is set to race UC Santa Barbara at 9:10 a.m., with Cal Gold competing against Orange Coast College at 9:15 a.m. Winners from each dual advance to round three, where they will compete for three trophies awarded at the end of the regatta around 12:15 p.m.
According to the CRCA Preseason Coaches Poll, the Golden Bears are ranked 10th nationally as they enter the new campaign. Within the ACC, only Stanford (No. 1) and Virginia (No. 8) are ranked higher than Cal.
Last season, Cal finished ninth overall at the NCAA Championships and placed fourth at the ACC Championships.
The ACC recently named Cal senior Minou Bouman to its Preseason Watch List. Bouman was recognized last season on multiple fronts: she made the 2025 CRCA All-American Second Team, was selected for the All-ACC First Team, and earned a spot on the ACC’s All-Academic Team after contributing significantly to Cal’s top varsity eight crew that finished third at the ACC Championships and fourth in the petite final at NCAAs.
Spectators are encouraged to watch from near Marina Park Community Center lighthouse for optimal viewing and audio during races. Those unable to attend can access live streaming or follow live results online.
For more updates on Cal women’s rowing, fans can follow team accounts on Instagram (@calwrowing) and Facebook (Cal Crew).
