Calgorithm
by Andrew Duval and Teresa Sun Nov 15, 2024
After a challenging last season, University of California Berkeley's football team found itself on shaky ground: with financial struggles culminating in the end of the Pacific 12 (PAC-12) college football conference, Cal was without a conference to compete in. Although eventually joining the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Cal’s new member status combined left the school’s football team in uncharted territory. Amid the struggle, a quirky phenomenon emerged from the digital world: the Calgorithm. Combining Berkeley’s stereotypes of nerdiness and liberalism with the world of college football, this new trend sparked a revival in school spirit, uniting the campus in unexpected ways.
After a surprising win against Auburn University, first year graduate student Miles Goodman decided to lean into Cal’s stereotypes. In response to Auburn’s X, formerly Twitter, account tweeting the final score update, he tweeted a meme featuring a rainbow, Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden and a Democrat-led map of the 2020 electoral college, captioned “You Just Lost to the Woke Agenda.” As the Miami Hurricanes geared up to face off against Cal on Oct. 5, a post was made on X, the week before, featuring an AI-generated image of Cal welcoming the Hurricanes with Critical Race Theory books. During the game, Calgorithm supporters dotted the stands, with one holding a poster proclaiming “The #Calgorithm is here.”
“I like how Cal football uses football’s energy with woke culture. California as a whole is notorious for being a pretty liberal state, and it’s nice to see Berkeley embrace that culture and joke around with it, especially in football, which is a very conservatively dominant sport,” Sophomore Rory Windsor said.
Berkeley’s players have also embraced the trend, often creating their own memes or sharing their favorites on social media: Linebacker Cade Uluave specifically thanked the Calgorithm during a news conference for bringing more attention to the team. Special Teams Coordinator Vic So’oto referenced the meme in an X post, where he proclaimed how defensive lineman Xavier Carlton and linebacker Ryan McCullough were “Keeping the pocket hot like Cal Burners.” Calgorithm has also caused a surge in media attention towards the team; for the first time ever, the iconic ESPN College GameDay pregame show came to Berkeley before the Oct. 5 game. After receiving a deluge of requests from Cal fans, GameDay producer chose to feature the college before he even made a call to Cal to gauge interest.
Calgorithm has the potential to reshape how schools engage with their sports programs, blending digital humor with traditional athletic enthusiasm.
But the Calgorithm isn’t confined to the online world. At games, Berkeley students can be seen waving meme-themed banners and dressed up in costumes inspired by the trend. During the highly anticipated matchup against Miami University, memes were even being displayed on big screens as fans chanted viral phrases. This trend has significantly influenced Cal’s football season; it fostered a new culture of enthusiasm and engagement among students, many of whom previously had little interest in football, bridging the gap between Berkeley’s computer science nerds and sports enthusiasts.
“Calgorithm has changed the perception of Cal football by showing Berkeley’s fun and spirited side. It will probably evolve due to social media trends, and it’ll change based on new platforms and styles. The Calgorithm reflects Berkeley’s progressive values by using humor to challenge stereotypes about the student body,” Sophomore Jonathan Namba said.
Other schools within the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) are taking notice of Berkeley’s influence, with some even trying to emulate Berkeley by creating their own versions of the Calgorithm. Notably, Miami University and Oregon State University have taken to social media to develop their own versions of the meme, featuring Miami’s high-energy and exciting atmosphere and Oregon State’s outdoorsy, close-knit community.
Overall, Calgorithm could foreshadow greater changes in college football culture as a whole. With the growth of internet culture—primarily among younger fans that participate in and often view college football—it could wind up playing a greater role in college football in the future, with similar memes being associated with other teams, perhaps even manifesting in official posters, dances and other forms of team expression.
About the Contributors
Andrew Duval
Page Editor
He is an avid enjoyer of music and He loves listening to it. He also likes dogs because they are friendly. He loves journalism because of its power to inspire change.
Teresa Sun
Staff Writer
Teresa Sun is a sophomore staff writer for the Charger Account. When she's not studying for her classes, she enjoys playing violin and dancing.
August Grinfeld
Artist
August Grinfeld is a Sophomore at Leland High School and a guest artist for the school newspaper. They enjoy creating visual art, voice acting, and learning about science related topics in their free time.
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