The 1986 California Golden Bears football team was an American football team that represented the University of California, Berkeley in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth year under head coach Joe Kapp, the Golden Bears compiled a 2–9 record (2–7 against Pac-10 opponents), finished in ninth place in the Pac-10, and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 325 to 145.