Home of Champions

Swimmer Katie Ledecky standing on the Olympic podium with a gold medal. — Katie Ledecky, ’20, made history at the 2024 Summer Olympics, winning four medals and bringing her career total to 14. She is the most decorated U.S. female Olympian of all time. *Photo: Sarah Stier via Getty Images*

Stanford truly is the “home of champions” — its athletics program is unrivaled. As of 2025, the university had won at least one national championship for a record 49 consecutive years. Stanford-affiliated athletes won 12 gold, 14 silver, and 13 bronze medals at the 2024 Olympics, producing a school record of 39 medals and an all-time total of 335 Olympic medals.

Stanford’s Department of Athletics has 36 varsity sports teams — 20 for women and 16 for men. Its approximately 850 student-athletes also excel off the field, registering an overall graduation rate of 97 percent in recent years, with 17 programs earning a 100 percent graduation rate. In addition to its varsity sports, Stanford Athletics supports campus-wide physical education academic classes, intramurals, adventure programming, and 43 club sports.

Student-athletes placing basketball on a court — *Photo: Stanford University Archives*

Athletic Firsts

Stanford’s innovative drive thrives in athletics. In 1896, Stanford won the first intercollegiate women’s basketball game, and in the 1920s, the powerful, new football plays of Coach Glenn “Pop” Warner captured the public’s imagination. In 1936, a Stanford athlete Hank Luisetti revolutionized basketball with his innovative running, one-handed jump shot.

Student-athletes holding "The Axe" plaque — *Photo: John P. Lozano*

The Big Game

A friendly challenge between the established University of California and upstart Stanford in 1892 set off the oldest college football rivalry in the West. In 1899, Stanford introduced a lumberman’s axe to complement the rallying cry, “Give ’ em the axe.” Today, The Axe is the trophy for “The Big Game.”

Student-athletes playing football on a field with a full crowd in the background — *Photo: Stanford University Archives*

Cardinal Spirit

Cardinal spirit reigns perennially from the field to the pool to the courts, and fan spirit often matches that of the competing athletes. Stanford’s iconic block S was shaped by cards held by enthusiastic fans as early as 1905. A Stanford volleyball player-turned-astronaut even brought a university centennial flag aboard the 1991 space shuttle flight.