The California Memorial Stadium at the University of California, Berkeley, has completed a comprehensive upgrade of its audio system with the installation of a new ULTRA™ family system from Meyer Sound.
The design enhances the game-day experience for fans, athletes, and the university community, while reinforcing a long-standing relationship between Cal Athletics and Meyer Sound.
Opened in 1923, California Memorial Stadium is a Berkeley landmark and one of the most iconic college football venues, set against the Berkeley Hills and overlooking San Francisco Bay. The stadium was rededicated in 2012 following a major seismic retrofit that preserved its historic façade while modernising its infrastructure for future generations.
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The new sound system, designed using the MAPP 3D™ modelling and prediction tool and supplied by Sound Image (a Clair Global brand), replaces a previous Meyer Sound installation with a fully modernised distributed system based on ULTRA family loudspeakers and 750-LFC™ low-frequency control elements. The result is more uniform coverage, greater low-end impact, and a more immersive experience across all seating areas.
We have been working with Meyer Sound for many years, even before the 2012 seismic retrofit. This new system builds on that foundation and raises the bar in terms of clarity and power, explains Kurt Sakasegawa, building systems manager at Cal Athletics.
The upgrade also incorporates a Milan-based networked audio infrastructure, ensuring lossless digital transmission, precise synchronisation, and scalability for future expansion. “The Milan network makes system management easier and allows us to achieve the best possible signal from source to loudspeaker”, he adds. “It more than meets our requirements in terms of flexibility, expansion, and reliability”.
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The system configuration includes 20 ULTRA-X80™, 27 ULTRA-X82™, two ULTRA-X20™, 21 ULTRA-X23™, and 13 ULTRA-X40™ loudspeakers, supported by eight compact USW-210P subwoofers and 20 750-LFC™ low-frequency control elements, plus two 2100-LFC™ units, all managed via Galileo® GALAXY 408 and 816 network platforms. The system delivers uniform coverage across all seating areas while maintaining precise directivity control to minimise sound spill into the surrounding Berkeley neighbourhood, a long-standing priority for the venue.
The design incorporates specific adjustments to enhance both the spectator experience and on-field performance. A pair of loudspeakers previously dedicated to the student section has been reoriented toward the field, providing focused reinforcement for players during practices and pre-game warm-ups. This change increases on-field energy without compromising clarity in the stands. In addition, two 2100-LFC units provide greater low-frequency presence and impact for players.
A second phase of installation is planned to complete the press box area ahead of the 2026 football season.
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Coaches and players have already highlighted the increased energy and presence delivered by the new system. “With Meyer Sound, we have improved the audio system to continue investing in a better game-day experience for our fans,” says Ron Rivera, general manager of California Football.
Kenny Lauer, Meyer Sound’s global head of experience and strategic innovation, frames the upgrade within a broader understanding of the role of sound in live events:
In sports, sound is not background—it is the emotional engine of the experience. At Memorial Stadium, you can feel how great sound connects fans and athletes in the same moment. It is not just about volume, but about presence, emotion, and memory. That connection is what keeps people coming back.
For Cal, the project represents both continuity and renewal: it strengthens a long-standing partnership while setting a new benchmark for sound at this historic stadium.
“We have worked with Meyer Sound for years, and this project continues that collaboration”, says Casey W. Cox, associate athletic director of facilities. “It is rewarding to see the stadium evolve while maintaining that connection”.
