The season nine premiere revolves around the iconic '80s family paying tribute to Pops. Together they venture down memory lane by visiting Pops' favorite stomping grounds. Adam Goldberg, forever with camera in hand, captures the outing - theming it to "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure." Hijinks and hilarity ensue, and we are reminded that there is no bond greater than family.

Adam and Brea eagerly open their acceptance packets from NYU. Brea learns she has been accepted, but Adam is shocked to see Beverly's name on his acceptance letter. Beverly admits she applied so she could accompany her schmoo at college, but Adam has unfortunately been put on a wait list. Bev and Adam go to Glascott for advice, and Glascott strongly encourages Adam to visit the NYU acceptance department to make his case without Beverly. After Adam twice fails to convince the dean of admissions to reconsider his application, Beverly can't help but jump in. Elsewhere, Erica learns that Lou Schwartz's animosity toward her stems from him believing that she once put his prized porcelain horse figurines in a compromising position as a joke, resulting in one being chipped. In reality, it was Lou's daughter Joanne who pulled the prank, then blamed it on Erica.

Erica is completely stressed as Beverly takes total control of the wedding planning, leaving Geoff to mediate between mother and daughter. Meanwhile, Glascott is circulating a petition to get the local water park shut down because he got injured there, leading Barry and Adam to try and save the park from closure.

Principal Ball recruits Adam to videotape the seniors' final football game between William Penn and arch-rival Germantown, but Adam's disinterest in sports leads him to become distracted and miss filming William Penn's winning touchdown. This earns him the ire of all the seniors, so he tries to make up for it by creating a touching high school memory video. Meanwhile, Bev learns from realtor Jane Bales that the house next door is up for sale, though it's owned by the cranky Mr. Wofsy (Dan Lauria) whom Murray has crossed in the past. When Bev and Murray see many features in Wofsy's house that they don't have, Bev thinks buying it will convince her children to stay home. However, when Jane points out flaws in the Goldberg's house while giving a tour to a potential buyer, Murray decides there are too many memories in the home to leave.

Having rented the house next door to Jon Glascott, Beverly gets tired of his extreme neighborliness and round-the-clock visits. Meanwhile, Murray gets a new grill and wants to initiate it with a neighborhood barbecue. Bev encourages Glascott to go on a canoeing trip with Mr. Woodburn on the same day as the barbecue, but Jon returns from the trip early to see the barbecue in progress. Elsewhere, Barry catches poison ivy on his bottom and needs constant care from Erica and Geoff, which the couple uses as a way to prepare for having a child someday.

Upset over having his first Halloween without Pops, Adam backs out of going to the school Halloween dance with Brea Bee and Matthew Schernecke. Seeing Adam depressed, Pop-Pop gets him involved in going door-to-door looking for a white pumpkin he says was stolen off his porch. This turns out to be a lie, fabricated by Pop-Pop to give Adam a Halloween adventure like he and Pops used to share. Elsewhere, Barry finds out that Joanne is unaware of his Big Tasty persona, due to him focusing more on career goals and his pre-med studies. He sets out to prove he hasn't lost his old self, even visiting Elvira at a signing event to present a new rap. While the rap flops, Barry realizes he has gained something better: a loving and supportive girlfriend.

After seeing the mothers of William Penn athletes getting a rose and a kiss in a year-end ceremony, Beverly is determined to have an award night for non-athletes so she can have her moment in the spotlight with Adam. However, an embarrassed Adam is just as determined to dissuade her. Meanwhile, Erica struggles to find a friend willing to help with her wedding planning, given that her former companions (Lainey, Valley Erica and Carla) are either out of town or too busy. She settles on Joanne Schwartz, but Joanne's help quickly becomes unwelcome.

When Beverly learns that Linda Schwartz will host Thanksgiving this year, she becomes concerned that her role as family hostess – and more importantly as Erica's mom – is threatened. Determined to regain her status, Bev holds a pre-Thanksgiving "nosh" (with all the traditional Thanksgiving food fare) on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Pop-Pop surprises the family by showing up with a new "lady friend," and his attempts to impress her have him revising his past role in the family.

After weeks of waiting, Adam finally receives news that he has been accepted into NYU. His excitement is soon diminished when he learns Brea has been accepted into her dream school, Brown University. Fearing the distance will affect their relationship, Adam attempts to find ways to keep his girlfriend close. Meanwhile, with Virginia's help, Beverly begins looking for venues to hold Erica's wedding shower. She discovers the tennis club of her nemesis, Jane Bales, is a perfect location, and becomes determined to earn membership even if it means embarrassing herself.

Having watched the James Bond film A View to a Kill, Barry becomes determined to make his own Bond film, starring himself as "Barry Bond", with Adam's help. Hoping to impress Joanne, Barry screens the finished video for her, only to have her laugh at how corny it is. Barry gets angry with his girlfriend, then learns a painstaking truth: that his family and friends have been tiptoeing around his oversensitivity for years. Meanwhile, Beverly learns that Murray's partner, Formica Mike, is living in the store after he and wife Fran have separated. Determined to get the two back together to show Erica that not all marriages are doomed, Bev enlists the help of Jane Bales. However, Mike becomes attracted to Jane's looks while Jane is attracted to his wealth. Undeterred, Bev gets Fran to date Nick Mellor in order to make Mike jealous, but Fran and Nick also become mutually attracted.

Inspired by the movie Fame, Beverly insists William Penn faculty do something special for the seniors, instead of the decades-old tradition of just singing the Quaker song. While initially disinterested, the faculty eventually comes around. Meanwhile, Erica and Geoff start to realize they are becoming as boring as other engaged couples on campus, and set out to throw a rager of a party to prove otherwise.

Upon their return home from college orientation, Adam and Brea each confess a secret that could affect the future of their relationship; Barry and Beverly openly admit their love of ice-dancing and explore their shared passion together.

As Adam and Brea navigate their breakup, Barry and Erica learn of how close the Schwartz's were for Valentines Day.

Barry comes face-to-face with his ex-girlfriends and their boyfriends during Erica and Geoff's joint bachelor/bachelorette party; Adam intervenes when Geoff's father takes over the planning of the wedding video.

After learning no one made the deposit on the wedding venue, Geoff scrambles to help fix the oversight before Beverly finds out; to make matters worse, a major winter storm is imminent which could jeopardize the entire event.

Featured Songs: "The Final Countdown" by Europe, "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx

Barry and the rest of the JTP try to reclaim their youth by forming a boy band, but quickly learn they aren't kids anymore. Meanwhile, Adam has the keys to Erica's downtown apartment, but realizes he's not cut out for city life.

When Murray goes out of town, Jane Bales attempts to make a power grab at the Ottoman Empire, forcing Beverly to retaliate; Adam is thrilled to learn that Dave Kim also plans to attend NYU.

Featured Song: "Don't Change" by INXS

When Beverly steps in as PE coach at William Penn Academy, Adam reluctantly takes her Jazzercise class but it turns to embarrassment when Beverly bends over during class and farts; Brea tries to show Adam his mother's good intentions; Barry and Geoff find themselves both vying for the same medical internship.

Beverly decides to join Adam and Brea on their much-anticipated beachside vacation in Miami, and things become complicated when they encounter one of Pops' ex-girlfriends. Barry's joy after acing the MCAT is short-lived when Erica becomes the local hero by saving a man from choking at the mall food court.

With Adam's graduation approaching, Beverly debates staying on as William Penn Academy's Quaker Warden; Erica tries to get out of the Schwartz's longstanding tradition of dinner together every Sunday.

After a mold issue forces Erica and Geoff to stay at the Goldberg house, thanks to Erica constantly leaving wet towels on the bathroom floor much to the tidy Geoff's annoyance, Beverly senses tensions in their marriage and tries to impart a little marital advice. Meanwhile, Adam has to give Brea an "I.O.U. one exquisite evening with Madonna" on their anniversary because tickets are sold out. But Brea's "cool" older sister Claire is in town and sets up Adam with a scalper, making his dream evening with Brea come true. Because Brea really wants to spend time with Claire, Adam buys tickets for all three of them. However, Claire soon sells her ticket and bails, disappointing her little sister again.

Graduation day is approaching and everyone, especially Adam, is ready – except for Beverly who is not coping well with the idea of an empty nest. Meanwhile, with Geoff's encouragement, Erica decides to try out for Cyndi Lauper as a one-time backup singer replacement. Ultimately, resurrecting her singing dreams doesn't manifest, but bigger and exciting new beginnings await her and the Goldbergs as it is revealed she is pregnant.