Cardinal football is back – here’s what you need to know

Cardinal football is in full swing following the season opener 37-27 win Aug. 29 at Stanford Stadium. The season includes 12 regular season games through November, with Big Game, a traditional showdown against UC Berkeley, on Nov. 21 and the final game against Southern Methodist University on Nov. 28.

Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the Farm, here’s what you need to know about the upcoming season.

Hey coach! It’s Tavita Pritchard’s first season as the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football. The 2009 alum is the 37th head coach in program history and is reunited with general manager Andrew Luck after they played together in 2008-09. After graduation, Pritchard spent nearly 13 years in Cardinal football coaching roles before becoming the quarterbacks coach of the Washington Commanders in 2023.
Players to watch. Check out Davis Warren, the Cardinal’s starting quarterback and a business and administration post-baccalaureate; tight end Benji Blackburn, a junior economics major; Micah Ford, a running back and junior majoring in psychology; safety Jay Green, a communication fifth-year; and Matt Rose, a management science and engineering fifth-year and an inside linebacker.
From the Yay Area. The multiplatinum Bay Area recording artist E-40 will perform at halftime during the game against Miami Sept. 4 at Stanford Stadium. The Vallejo native’s performance will celebrate the 20th anniversary of E-40’s landmark album My Ghetto Report Card, which helped propel Bay Area hip-hop, sound, and culture to a broader national audience.
It’s a family affair. Economics junior Marcus Brown plays wide receiver and is joined this year by his brother Nico Brown, also a wide receiver and an economics post-baccalaureate who transferred in from Yale. We also have science, technology and society senior Tre Williams, whose father, Tom Williams, played inside linebacker and coached for the Cardinal.
Sideline superstars. The Cardinal football vibe extends far beyond the field. There’s the iconic Tree mascot, the cheerleaders, the Dollies, and the incomparable Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band, which stands out among its peers for its funky, irreverent musical entertainment. Have you ever seen someone play a sink? Here’s your chance.
A stadium glow-up. This season Stanford Stadium has upgraded cellular networks, new LED lights that can be programmed to display patterns, larger ribbon boards, and more wireless cameras for extra replay angles. To further expedite entry, additional security screening systems will allow fans to walk in without removing items like keys, phones, and wallets. Cash App is now accepted throughout the stadium for snacks and swag, and new “grab-and-go” options will help fans get back to the game faster.
The price is right (for students). Don’t forget – Stanford students can attend all games for free! Students are automatically members of the Red Zone, the official student section of Stanford Athletics. In addition to free admission to all regular season athletic home events, students get exclusive access to giveaways and some of The Farm’s best seats. Students can download their Red Zone Student Pass, replacing SUIDs to get into events, and purchase up to two guest tickets per regular season home game.
Pregame festivities. The game is only part of the fan experience. Start tailgating hours before kickoff with great food, drinks, and people outside the Stanford Stadium. Don’t feel like cooking? Fan Fest, located in the Hammer Throw area of Cobb Track and Angell Field, opens three hours before kickoff and features food trucks, a beer garden, and family-friendly games for Cardinal fans. Admission is free, and vendors are cashless.
Breaking hearts AND records. Who can forget last year’s epic Big Game 31-10 win against Cal? More than 50,000 fans came out for the game, including a record-breaking 6,481 students – a record that may well be broken this season.