For what seems like forever — and especially since the whole conference realignment fiasco — Cal fans have had to hear various iterations of “Cal simply just isn’t a football school,” or “maybe Cal should drop its football program entirely.”

The “Cal isn’t a football school” trope, unfortunately, is not entirely based in complete myth. Or, rather, it is sometimes understandable why the trope looks to be true, especially with slipping attendance numbers and at times rather depressing student sections.

But not during the Big Game.

Saturday’s 27-15 win against Stanford put to bed any concern that Cal fans or students don’t care about football. In fact, it showed just how much it matters to the student body and alumni.

A sold out crowd at the Farm glistened blue and gold and a stormed field full of ecstatic Cal fans proved that the excitement is there, people just need to be given a reason to care.

Earlier in the season, after the Auburn game, I wrote that that loss was a huge blow to Cal football’s optics, as a slow game and a tough loss in a matchup people were excited about hurt support for the team. I still believe that is the case. But a third straight Big Game win — and third straight win at Stanford — goes a long way to prove exactly why Cal shouldn’t give up on football.

I went to Cal. And while I knew my fair share of diehard Cal football fans, I had plenty of peers who just didn’t care about football or anything to do with it. But every year, without fail, November would roll around. And everyone would be all-in on the Bears.

I’ve always said that the biggest thing about becoming a fan of a sport or a team is starting to have a stake — a player that you’ve taken a liking to, a particularly interesting storyline or even just overhearing a conversation that piques your interest.

The Big Game is that stake. Suddenly, every November, I start fielding questions such as, “What’s our starting quarterback like?,” “How’s our season going so far?” or “What do you think our chances are against Stanford this year?”

The key word here is “our.” And this year was no different.

In the postgame press conferences, the players seemed genuinely surprised by fans’ reactions on the field after the game. Left tackle Barrett Miller, who became one of the biggest storylines of this game after transferring from Stanford, said he was shocked that people knew who he was.