| Year: | 1956 |
| Team: | California Golden Bears |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Pacific Coast Conference |
| Short Conf: | PCC |
| Record: | 3–7 |
| Conf Record: | 2–5 |
| Head Coach: | Pappy Waldorf |
| Hc Year: | 10th |
| Stadium: | California Memorial Stadium |
The 1956 California Golden Bears football team was an American football team that represented the University of California, Berkeley in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) during the 1956 college football season. In their tenth and final year under head coach Pappy Waldorf, the Golden Bears compiled a 3–7 record (2–5 in PCC, eighth) and were outscored 181 to 135.[1] [2] Home games were played on campus at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California.
At the Big Game in Berkeley on November 24, the 14-point underdog Bears upset Stanford 20–18. Waldorf's players knew that it was his last game; following the win, they carried him off the field on their shoulders.[3] He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966.[1]
California's statistical leaders on offense were sophomore quarterback Joe Kapp with 667 passing yards, Herb Jackson with 462 rushing yards, and Norm Becker with 313 receiving yards.[4] Kapp was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.[5]