Stanford football may garner the attention, and crowds, for Silicon Valley sports lovers and the 2016 season will be no different: the Cardinals are ranked seventh in the nation and won their first two games by double digits each. But if tailgating isn’t your thing or you just want to see world-class athletic prowess up close and on the cheap, consider checking out our shortlist of upcoming Stanford athletic events.
Stanford sent a whopping 39 athletes to Rio, (behind Cal and USC) and took home 27 medals (more than any other college) in, among many others, swimming, water polo and fencing.
Men’s soccer vs. Cal
When: October 2 at 5 p.m.
Where: Laird Q. Cagan Stadium located at 641 Nelson Rd, Stanford CA 94305. Gates open one hour prior to match time. Parking is free. Go to http://www.gostanford.com/facilities/?id=9.
Tickets: Go to GoStanford.com or purchase at the ticket office (located at Gate 2 of Stanford Stadium) $8 to $15.
Stanford and Cal is a classic, well-known rivalry. While the majority of attention goes to the football rivalry’s Big Game (and the ownership of the Stanford Axe), fierce competition extends to other team sports. After going 0–2 against Stanford last year, Cal will be looking for revenge, so you can be sure their first meeting this season will be a highly charged affair.
Women’s volleyball vs. UCLA
When: November 12 at 7 p.m.
Where: Maples Pavilion located at 655 Campus Dr., Stanford CA, 94305. Go to http://www.gostanford.com/sports/2013/4/17/208446881.aspx.
Tickets: Go to GoStanford.com or purchase at the ticket office. $8 to $15
If you are hoping to see potential Olympians compete, women’s volleyball is a good place to start. Stanford sent 39 Olympians (including former, current and incoming athletes) to the Rio Olympics, the most out of any other school in the U.S, and each year brings more potential. Haley Hodson, a sophomore could very well make the 2020 Olympics. Hodson was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2015 and competed last year with the senior national team. Fans will hope that come mid-November, in the middle of the season when injuries and fatigue run high, Hodson will once again lead the Cardinals past №9 ranked UCLA.
Women’s swimming and diving vs. Washington State
When: October 20 at 2 p.m.
Where: Avery Aquatic Center located at 235 Sam McDonald Mall, Stanford, CA 94305. Go to http://www.gostanford.com/sports/2013/4/17/208446860.aspx.
Tickets: Free. Go to GoStanford.com or buy at the ticket office.
Ranked №2 in the country, Stanford swimming boasts Katie Ledecky — who won five medals in Rio — alongside Paralympian Brickelle Bro and fellow Olympians Lia Neal and Simone Manuel, who became the first African-American woman to win an individual medal in swimming.
Swim meets can last anywhere from two to four hours, so make sure you know what time the events you want to watch are and come selectively, or bring snacks and a cushioned seat for the long haul.
Field hockey vs. Cal
When: October 23 at 1 p.m.
Where: Varsity Field Hockey Turf located at Masters Mall, Stanford CA 94305. Go to http://www.gostanford.com/facilities/?id=19.
Tickets: Free. Go to GoStanford.com or purchase at the ticket office.
Field hockey is a fast rising sport in the U.S. This past July, Stanford standout Jordan Barry was selected to the Young Women’s National Championship and led her team to a silver medal. Barry returns this year as a sophomore and with her list of accolades only growing, a spot on the next Olympic team may not be far out of her sights. Until then, go watch her and the rest of the Stanford field hockey team take on their bitter rivals from the East Bay.
Men’s Water polo vs. UOP (University of the Pacific)
When: November 5 TBD
Where: Avery Aquatic Center located at 235 Sam McDonald Mall, Stanford, CA 94305. Go to http://www.gostanford.com/sports/2013/4/17/208446860.aspx.
Tickets: Free at GoStanford.com or buy at the ticket office.
Stanford and University of the Pacific are consistent rivals in the rough sport of water polo. Ranked numbers five and four, respectively, Stanford will be looking to avenge last year’s 7–11 loss and may have the perfect weapon in freshman Ben Hallock. Hallock, 18, was the youngest player on the USA water polo team in Rio and is widely regarded as the nation’s top prospect in 2016. Already 8–2 this season, the Cardinal are looking strong and their clash with Pacific will be one of their biggest tests.
Men’s basketball vs. Saint Mary’s
When: November 30 at 8 p.m.
Where: Maples Pavilion located at 655 Campus Dr., Stanford CA, 94305. Parking is available in Parking Structure 7 (across from Maples Pavilion) and in the Varsity and Visitor Center Lots. Lot 11 is reserved for season ticket holders. For more information and maps, go to http://www.gostanford.com/sports/2013/4/17/208446881.aspx.
Tickets: Go to GoStanford.com or purchase at the ticket office. $10 to $50
The new basketball season has been anxiously anticipated ever since Jerod Haase, a former basketball player at Cal, was announced as the new Stanford coach last spring. He is tasked with bringing the former Pac-12 power back to greatness as Stanford has endured eight mediocre seasons, ending with a 15–15 record last year. With all of their key players returning this year, Stanford fans will be desperate to see a return to form. Their first major hurdle will be Saint Mary’s, which went 29–6 last year.
