OWNERS. THE LAST CAUSEWAY CLASSIC FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS IS IN THE BOOKS. THIS YEARLY SHOWDOWN BETWEEN SACRAMENTO STATE AND UC DAVIS HAS BEEN A FAN FAVORITE FOR GENERATIONS. KCRA 3’S CORTEZ SPOKE WITH FANS AT UC DAVIS HEALTH STADIUM TO SEE HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THE HORNETS LEAVING THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE, AND IT WAS A REAL NAIL BITER. FANS, I THINK, MIGHT HAVE TO PHYSICALLY CHECK THEIR NAILS SINCE IT CAME DOWN TO THE WIRE, BUT THE UC DAVIS WATER TOWER LIT UP A BRIGHT YELLOW, MAYBE TO SIGNIFY HOW HAPPY THEY ARE TO CAPTURE THE 71ST ANNUAL CAUSEWAY CLASSIC WIN. BUT BOTH FAN BASES CAME OUT IN FULL FORCE, ESPECIALLY FOR A RIVALRY THAT COMES SO DEEP FOR SCHOOLS. DISTANCE BY NEARLY 20 MILES. LET’S GO AGGIES! THE STORY BETWEEN THESE TWO TEAMS DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN BETWEEN THE HASH MARKS. A LOT OF GOOD MEMORIES. WE’VE BEEN HERE IN THE POURING DOWN RAIN AND THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE. IT’S THE PEOPLE IN THE STANDS WHO GIVE THIS RIVALRY ITS HEART. THE CAUSEWAY CLASSIC HAS BEEN PLAYED SINCE 1954, SEEING GENERATIONS OF FANS. I’VE BEEN AT DAVIS FOR THREE YEARS. I’M GRADUATING THIS YEAR, FILLING THESE VERY SEATS, CARING THE RIVALRY FORWARD CAME FROM CLEVELAND, OHIO. AND WITH CHANGES COMING TO SACRAMENTO, STATE’S CONFERENCE TONIGHT CARRIES EXTRA WEIGHT BECAUSE NO ONE KNOWS WHEN OR IF THESE TWO TEAMS WILL MEET AGAIN. IT’S REALLY SADDENING. THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR HERE AND I WAS SO EXCITED. I WAS FOUR YEARS OF BEING SAC STATE. I WAS SO HAPPY. FROM FRESHMAN PAINTED HEAD TO TOE IN SCHOOL COLORS, TO ALUMNI WHO HAVE BEEN CHEERING FROM THE SEATS FOR DECADES, EACH ONE BECOMES PART OF THE MOMENTUM AND THE FORCE THAT LIFTS RIVALRIES INTO SOMETHING MORE. IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY WIN THE LAST GAME, ESPECIALLY AGAINST DAVIS. AND THOUGH THE RIVALRY RUNS DEEP TODAY, THEY’RE NOT JUST WATCHING HISTORY. THEY’RE CREATING IT ONE CHAIR AT A TIME. AND WITH TODAY’S WIN, THE AGGIES HAVE NOW CONSECUTIVELY WON THE CAUSEWAY CLASSIC THREE YEARS IN A ROW. BUT WE’LL JUST HAVE TO SEE WHETHER THIS WILL BE THE FINALE OF THIS STORIED RIVALRY, OR IT WILL JUST BE ON A TEMPORARY HIATUS. AND DAVIS AND CORTEZ. KCRA THREE NEWS. AND WITH THIS WIN, UC DAVIS HAS BEATEN SAC STATE IN THE LAST THREE CAUSEWAY CLASSICS. AGAIN, WE’LL HAVE TO SEE IF THIS IS REALLY THE FINAL TIME THAT THESE TWO TEAMS PLAY AGAINST EACH OTHER. I KNOW FOLKS WANT TO SEE THEM KEEP PLAYING, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’VE BEEN PART OF THIS RIVALRY FOR SO MANY YEARS. WELL, STILL AHEAD IN THIS NEWSCAST. KCRA 3’S MICHELLE DAPPER AND SEAN CUNNINGHAM SPOKE WITH UC DAVIS HEAD COACH TIM PLOW AFTER
‘A lot of good memories’: Fans fuel the rivalry as UC Davis wins Causeway Classic vs. Sac State
Updated: 11:06 PM PST Nov 22, 2025
UC Davis hosted Sacramento in the 71st Causeway Classic, an annual football game between Big Sky Conference rivals, with playoff hopes on the line for both teams and Sacramento State’s imminent departure from the conference adding uncertainty to the future of the matchup.The Aggies won 31-27, but the rivalry between these teams extends beyond the field, with fans in the stands providing its heartbeat. “A lot of good memories, we’ve been in the pouring down rain and the beautiful sunshine,” Sacramento State fan and alumnus, Anne Smith said, highlighting the emotional connection to the event. The Causeway Classic has been played since 1954, with generations of fans filling the seats and carrying the rivalry forward.Current UC Davis student Ella Riccomini emphasized the personal significance of the game.”I’ve been at Davis for three years, I’m graduating this year,” emphasizing the personal significance of the game,” Riccomini said. With Sacramento State’s conference changes looming, the game carried extra weight, as uncertainty surrounds the future meetings of these two teams. “It’s really saddening. This is my first year here, and I was so excited. I wanted four years of beating Sac State. I was so happy,” freshman Hudson Mirsky said, reflecting the sentiment of many attendees.From freshmen painted head-to-toe in school colors to alumni who have cheered for decades, each fan contributes to the momentum, noise and emotion that elevates the rivalry. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
DAVIS, Calif. —
UC Davis hosted Sacramento in the 71st Causeway Classic, an annual football game between Big Sky Conference rivals, with playoff hopes on the line for both teams and Sacramento State’s imminent departure from the conference adding uncertainty to the future of the matchup.
The Aggies won 31-27, but the rivalry between these teams extends beyond the field, with fans in the stands providing its heartbeat.
“A lot of good memories, we’ve been in the pouring down rain and the beautiful sunshine,” Sacramento State fan and alumnus, Anne Smith said, highlighting the emotional connection to the event. The Causeway Classic has been played since 1954, with generations of fans filling the seats and carrying the rivalry forward.
Current UC Davis student Ella Riccomini emphasized the personal significance of the game.
“I’ve been at Davis for three years, I’m graduating this year,” emphasizing the personal significance of the game,” Riccomini said.
With Sacramento State’s conference changes looming, the game carried extra weight, as uncertainty surrounds the future meetings of these two teams.
“It’s really saddening. This is my first year here, and I was so excited. I wanted four years of beating Sac State. I was so happy,” freshman Hudson Mirsky said, reflecting the sentiment of many attendees.
From freshmen painted head-to-toe in school colors to alumni who have cheered for decades, each fan contributes to the momentum, noise and emotion that elevates the rivalry.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel