Tightwad Hill is the popular name for Charter Hill, the hill rising to the east of California Memorial Stadium

California Memorial Stadium

California Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. Commonly known as Memorial Stadium, it is the home field for the University of California Golden Bears of the Pacific-12 Conference...

 at the University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...

. Tightwad Hill is so named as it affords a free view of the stadium's field, allowing fans of the Golden Bears to see the game live, even if the stadium is sold out or if they don't want to buy tickets. The hill usually has its occupants, even when the stadium sports empty seats.

Tightwad Hill is part of Charter Hill, the area behind campus that also encompasses the Big "C". Tightwad Hill rises steeply about 100 feet above the east rim of the stadium, to a relatively flat area where spectators perch. Created when Memorial Stadium was built in 1923, Tightwad Hill was created from the dirt removed during the excavation of lower Strawberry Canyon. The first time fans were seen on the hill for Cal games was in 1924. Since then, U.C. Berkeley students, staff, faculty, and the public have enjoyed fall days on the Hill, cheering for the Golden Bears and enjoying the view of the U.C. campus, downtown Berkeley, and the central San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...

.

There are and have been many unique features on the hill over the years. Some of the current items include:

- A bench that was built in a tree over 15–20 years ago

- Trash cans and recycling bins to help keep the hill looking spotless following games

- Terraces formed into the steep hillside to facilitate seating

- "The Tightwad Country Club", which is the seating area below the Tightwad Hill sign

In 2006, the Regents of the University of California

Regents of the University of California

The Regents of the University of California make up the governing board of the University of California. The Board has 26 full members:* The majority are appointed by the Governor of California for 12-year terms....

 began considering a major renovation of Memorial Stadium. One plan proposed the construction of a new seating structure, the so-called "Eastside Seating Structure" on the promenade on the east side of the stadium. If this were to be built, it could block views of the field from Tightwad Hill, possibly eliminating this unusual and colorful tradition. An organization called "Save Tightwad Hill" sued the University, claiming that the Environmental Impact Report for the Stadium project did not adequately analyze the impacts of the planned improvements on historic resources and scenic views. The group eventually settled with the University. Under the terms of the agreement the University agreed in concept to preserve Tightwad Hill as an important Cal Football tradition, and to include representatives of Tightwad Hill in the design process for east side improvements.

Green Day

Green Day

Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...

 mentioned the hill's name in a song on their fourth album, Insomniac, but it is in reference to a hill that overlooks the football field at their high school

John Swett High School

John Swett High School is located in Crockett, California, USA, and serves the communities of Crockett, Port Costa, Rodeo, and the Foxboro area of Hercules. It is named after John Swett, former California Superintendent of Public Instruction, elected in 1863. John Swett High School was established...

 and not the hill overlooking Memorial Stadium. Green Day has had a colorful history in and around the Berkeley area, having started their career there as an underground punk band.

California Victory Cannon

To the right of the fans on the hill is the platform for the California Victory Cannon. Constructed in 2004 to serve as a replacement for the old wooden cannon platform, the concrete and stone structure was paid for through a 2003 donation campaign spearheaded by current and former UC Cannoneers, the keepers and operators of the cannon. This permanent structure debuted during the 2004 season as the new perch for the Victory Cannon. At every home game, rain or shine, the cannon is loaded and shot at each of the football team's run-outs, whenever Cal scores a touchdown, and when a Cal victory goes final. The resulting boom is heard throughout the stadium and the surrounding area, and has come to be known as "Oski's Mighty Thunder."

Starting at the Big Game

Big Game (football)

The Big Game is an American college football rivalry game played by the California Golden Bears football team of the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University. It is typically played in late November or early December...

 of 1963, the California Victory Cannon was traditionally brought by members of the UC Rally Committee to be fired inside the stadium. When the old Pac-8 Conference banned cannons from stadiums in 1972, all other Pac-8 schools abandoned their cannons; Cal, however, maintained the tradition as the hill behind the stadium was ruled to be outside the zone governed by the ban. Since 1972, the Victory Cannon has been fired from outside of Memorial Stadium to the delight of fans on and off Tightwad Hill. The cannon has only once run out of ammunition, in a 1991 home game against Pacific where Cal scored 12 touchdowns.

In addition to being fired at all Cal home games, the cannon has traveled to bowl game

Bowl game

In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...

s, such as the Holiday

Holiday Bowl

The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...

 and Copper

Insight Bowl

The Insight Bowl is an NCAA college football bowl game played in Arizona since 1989. From 1989 to 1999, the games were played at Arizona Stadium in Tucson. The game moved to Phoenix in 2000 and was played at Chase Field until 2005. After the 2005 playing the Insight Bowl moved to Sun Devil Stadium...

Bowls, as well as to away games against Washington and Indiana.

External links

• Cal Alum's Goal-line Stand for View from Tightwad Hill - by Rick DelVecchio, San Francisco Chronicle, November 3, 2006
• 2006 Campaign to Save Tightwad Hill
• Memories of Tightwad Hill from MemoryArchive.