BERKELEY, Calif. (KRON) -- Cal football is getting a new name on its home turf. Cal Athletics and Databricks have announced a multi-year partnership that will rename the Golden Bears’ football venue “Databricks Field at California Memorial Stadium.” According to Cal Athletics, it is the large st partnership in the athletic department’s history. The Databricks logo appeared for the first-time for Cal's nationally televised game against Clemson. The technology company will also become the “Official Enterprise Data + AI platform” of Cal Athletics. For Berkeley, the partnership has a distinctly local connection. Databricks grew out of research conducted at UC Berkeley between 2009 and 2013. The company’s co-founders, including CEO Ali Ghodsi, have maintained ties with the university. “My co-founders and I came to Berkeley as academics with the belief that data and AI would transform every organization,” Ghodsi said, according to Cal Athletics. “Databricks Field at California Memorial Stadium is our way of investing back into this community.” New Cal football documentary goes behind the scenes of NIL and transfer portal The agreement extends beyond football. Databricks branding will appear on Cal football helmets beginning with the October 3rd game at UNLV, and the company will become the namesake of the Databricks Club at the stadium. Branding will also appear at Haas Pavilion during Cal basketball, volleyball and gymnastics events. Cal Athletics says the multi-year partnership will be funded through UC Berkeley becoming a shareholder in Databricks. The deal brings additional financial support and a major technology company into the Cal athletic program, while giving Databricks prominent exposure to Cal fans and a direct connection to the university where the company originated. It also raises a broader question for college sports: as athletic departments look for new sources of revenue, how much of the traditional identity of college venues will increasingly be tied to corporate names and brands? For now, one thing is certain in Berkeley: the next time the Golden Bears take the field at Memorial Stadium, there will be a new name at midfield. ...read more read less