Stanford Stadium/Stanford Athletics

The landmark for Stanford athletics may well be the 50,000-seat Stanford Stadium, the site of the university's Commencement ceremony . The stadium opened in September of 2006, and is home to the Stanford Cardinal Football team. Quarterbacks John Elway and Jim Plunkett and legendary coaches Bill Walsh and Pop Warner are among the most celebrated members of Cardinal football, and more recent gridiron successes include the 1999 Pac-10 title and six straight wins over arch-rival Berkeley in the annual Big Game.

Construction of Stanford Stadium in the early 1920s was fueled by a competition with the University of California at Berkeley to see which school could complete its stadium first. Stanford won that contest, but Rose Bowl-bound Berkeley beat Stanford 42-7 in the first-ever game played at Stanford Stadium, on Nov. 19, 1921. But while Berkeley was victorious in '21, Stanford has the series edge, winning 53 of the 103 Big Games against its cross-bay rival (11 games ended in a tie). Stanford Stadium also was the site of Olympic soccer in 1984, Super Bowl XIX in 1985 and World Cup matches in 1994.

• The 14-court Taube Family Tennis Stadium, which offers indoor and outdoor courts, office space and a 2,000-seat stadium. Both men's and women's tennis are consistently ranked among the top five programs in the nation.

• The 6,786-yard Stanford Golf Course, located in the foothills and ranked as the 91st best golf course in the country by Golf Week magazine. PGA greats Tom Watson and Tiger Woods played golf for Stanford.
  
  
• 7,391-seat Maples Pavilion, host to men's and women's basketball, both of which routinely rank among the top 20 programs in the nation, and women's volleyball, a winner of four national titles in the '90s.
  
  
• The 2,500-seat, four-pool Avery Aquatic Center, boasting spectacular swimming and diving facilities. Among the largest aquatics facilities in the nation, the complex is home to the Cardinal swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming teams, all considered to be among the elite teams in their respective sports. Among other Olympic medal winners, Jenny Thompson, Summer Sanders, Misty Hyman and Pablo Morales swam for Stanford.

• 4,000-seat Sunken Diamond, home to Stanford baseball, also among the top teams in the nation.

• The Ford Center for Sports and Recreation which hosts men's and women's gymnastics.

Stanford has won the Sears Directors Cup, awarded to the most successful Division I athletic program, the last seven years, and Cardinal teams have won a total of 79 NCAA championships, second best in the nation. Cardinal athletes also have been awarded 78 Olympic medals from 1984 to 2000.

The Department of Athletics offers 33 varsity sports -- 17 for women, 15 for men and one coed. Still more students compete against athletes from other schools through student-organized club sports. There are more than 1,000 students in the club sports program, which includes badminton, cricket, cycling, ice hockey, judo, men's lacrosse, equestrian polo, men's and women's rugby, running club, skiing, table tennis and ultimate frisbee.

Thousands of students each quarter also take part in Stanford's extensive intramural program. A variety of sports is offered, ranging from basketball and bicycle racing to table tennis and inner tube water polo. Teams are affiliated with various campus residences, organizations and departments.

T-shirts say it all for seniors awaiting the start of the 100th Big Game against arch-rival Berkeley in 1997. The Cardinal won the game 21-20. Photo: L.A. Cicero

Field hockey teammates savor a win on a new artificial-turf field installed in 1998. Photo: L.A. Cicero

Related information:

Stanford Cardinal website