DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis football opened its doors and welcomed the Davis community to UC Davis Health Stadium for the 2026 Spring Game, helping kick off this year's Picnic Day with a showcase of Aggie football on a nearly perfect California morning.
 
The day began with the Aggies taking the tunnel with a large collection of families and together they took the field to get the day started on Jim Sochor Field. After a warmup and stretch, the Aggies settled into a set of drills before lining up to officially kickoff the Spring Game.
 
After the kick was sent deep, Cori "The Rocket Dog" made his spring debut streaking onto the field to retrieve the tee which meant the day could truly begin. Over the next two hours the Aggies worked through a handful of competitive drills, going from lining up for 11-on-11 action to working on special teams.
 
"I think the spring has been really positive, and we feel like there has been a lot of guys who have contributed on special teams and defense," said defensive coordinator Matt Coombs. "It has been fun to see guys take advantage of their opportunities. And today the guys were excited and fired up to get out and play in front of the UC Davis community, making it a great Saturday to play football."
 
Throughout the day, the Davis community got a chance to take the field, and at the end of day the team spent the final 20 minutes sharing the field and helping run drills with the entire team. Fans could then get autographs from their favorite Aggies to wrap up a great day of finding joy at UC Davis Health Stadium.
 
UC Davis opens its 2026 season at Portland State on Aug. 29 in a Big Sky showdown and on Sept. 19 Stetson makes the trip to Davis for the 2026 home opener.
 
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked No. 1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as No. 1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.