Athletics & Recreation

Athletics

Stanford students achieve at the highest levels of world-class academics and championship athletics. In 2018-19, Stanford captured its 25th consecutive Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, which is awarded annually to the most successful overall intercollegiate athletic department. Stanford has won at least one NCAA team championship for 44 consecutive years, including 29 NCAA Champions in the last decade.

All Stanford students are part of the Red Zone, the official student fan group of Stanford Athletics and the most raucous section inside Stanford Athletics’ facilities. Students receive free admission to all regular season competitions and often get rewarded for attending!

Facilities

More than one million square feet of indoor facilities and 94 acres of outdoor fields on 8,180 contiguous campus acres that encompass:

  • 6,700-yard Stanford Golf Course
  • 7,200-seat Maples Pavilion
  • 4,000-seat Sunken Diamond
  • 30+ foot state-of-the-art climbing wall
  • 17-court Taube Family Tennis Stadium
  • 2,500-seat, four-pool Avery Aquatic Complex and 50-meter pool at the Arrillaga Outdoor Education & Recreation Center
  • 50,000-seat Stanford Stadium

Home of Champions

  • Stanford has captured 25 consecutive Directors’ Cup titles (1995–2019), an award that honors the nation’s top overall Division I athletic program.
  • At least one Stanford team has won a national championship in each of the last 44 years.
  • Stanford varsity teams have won 126 NCAA titles, making the Cardinal the nation’s all-time leader.
  • In 2018-19, Stanford varsity teams won seven national championship titles, and brought home three more in the fall of 2019.
  • Stanford-affiliated athletes have won 270 overall Olympic medals. Leading the 165 athletes are Jenny Thompson (12 career medals), John Hencken (6), Katie Ledecky (6), Janet Evans (5), and Pablo Morales (5). The Cardinal has produced at least one medalist in every Olympics in which the U.S. has competed since 1912, including a school-record 27 medals in 2016.
  • In 2012, Heisman Trophy finalist Andrew Luck was the NFL first draft pick for the Indianapolis Colts. Stanford’s Chiney Ogwumike was selected as the first overall pick of the 2014 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun, and Andi Sullivan was picked first overall in the 2018 NWSL Draft by the Washington Spirit.

Recreation & Wellness

Stanford Recreation & Wellness is committed to providing diverse recreational opportunities that inspire health and well-being for our community. As part of the university’s Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation, we offer sports, fitness, adventure, health and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of the Stanford community. Through collaborative team efforts, We take pride in presenting high quality and fun programs. We offer a wide breadth of programs and services, including club sports, fitness facilities, group exercise, personal training, intramural sports, outdoor adventure, recreation classes, and youth programs.

As one of the centers of student activity on campus, students often find communities in Rec and Wellness that help them find their place at Stanford, develop great habits, and use movement and exercise to ultimately support their academic lives.