The 1997 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 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their first year under head coach Tom Holmoe, the Golden Bears compiled a 3–8 record (1–7 against Pac-10 opponents), finished in ninth place in the Pac-10, and were outscored by their opponents by a combined score of 339 to 295. Home games were played at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California.