Big Game week: Stanford vs. Cal

Stanford has a lot of traditions but only one rivalry that the whole region notices. The Big Game against the University of California, Berkeley, is the oldest and most storied game on Stanford's schedule. Fans of both schools treat it as the real end of the season, whatever the records say. On the Stanford side, the game caps a week of rallies, a student musical and some fairly strange rituals.

This guide is for visitors, alumni and Palo Alto locals who want to plan around the game. It covers the history, the trophy, the week's traditions and how to get to the stadium in either city. For a broader look at campus rituals, see our Stanford traditions page.

A rivalry since 1892

Stanford opened in the fall of 1891. Within months, its students were organizing a football team and challenging Cal. The first game was played in San Francisco in March 1892. A young Herbert Hoover helped manage the Stanford side as a student. The two schools have met most years since, with gaps for war years and a period in the early 1900s when they swapped football for rugby.

The 2026 game is the 129th meeting. For more than a century it was a conference game in the Pacific Coast and Pac-12 era. When the Pac-12 broke apart, both Stanford and Cal joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024. That move sent Stanford to play schools on the East Coast but kept the Big Game on the schedule as a conference matchup.

The game is famous for its finishes. The best known is the 1982 Big Game in Berkeley, when Cal returned the final kickoff with five laterals and scored as the Stanford Band ran onto the field. Stanford fans still dispute the call. Our page on the Stanford Band tells that story in full.

The Stanford Axe

The Big Game winner takes home the Stanford Axe, one of college football's odder trophies. It started as a rally prop in April 1899. Cal students grabbed it after a baseball game in San Francisco days later and kept it in Berkeley for 31 years. In 1930 a group of Stanford students later called the Immortal 21 took it back. Since 1933 the two schools have awarded it to the Big Game winner.

• 2025: Stanford won 31 to 10 at Stanford Stadium, ending Cal's four-year hold on the Axe.
• Ties: If the game is tied, the current holder keeps the Axe. That has happened three times, in 1950, 1953 and 1988.
• Keeping it: When Stanford holds the Axe, the Stanford Axe Committee guards it and brings it out at games and events.

2026 and 2027 dates

The game normally alternates between the two campuses. The 2025 game was at Stanford and the 2026 game is in Berkeley.

For 2027 we only know the pattern. The game usually falls on a Saturday in mid to late November, but conference schedules and television deals can move it. Do not book a nonrefundable trip until Stanford Athletics posts the 2027 schedule at gostanford.com.

After the 2026 Big Game, Stanford still has one more home date. Its last home game of the season is against SMU on November 28 at Stanford Stadium.

What happens during Big Game week

On campus, the game is the last act of a week of rituals. Some are public. Most are by and for students.

Gaieties

Ram's Head Theatrical Society has staged Gaieties, an original musical comedy roasting Cal and campus life, during Big Game week since 1911. The Ram's Head site lists Gaieties 2026 for November 18. Check that site for tickets and whether seats are open to the public. Our page on theater and dance at Stanford has more on the society.

The Bearial and band events

The Stanford Band holds a mock funeral for Oski, Cal's bear mascot. The effigy has a habit of ending up on the Claw fountain in White Plaza. The band also grows for the Big Game, since any Stanford student who turns up for rehearsals can march. In 2025 the two schools' bands even met for a sailing regatta in San Francisco.

Things that have faded

For decades the week ended with a bonfire on Lake Lagunita. The lake is now managed as a seasonal wetland and the bonfire is history. Visitors still ask about it, so it is worth knowing it no longer happens.

When the game is at Stanford

Stanford Stadium holds 50,424 people and sits just off El Camino Real near Embarcadero Road. On a Big Game Saturday the campus fills with tailgates, family reunions and alumni in red. A few practical points:

1. Buy tickets early. Start with Stanford Athletics' official ticket site rather than resellers, so you know what you are paying for.
2. Take the train. Caltrain said its Stanford station would not open for 2026 games. If that holds in 2027, ride to Palo Alto station and walk about 20 to 25 minutes through campus. See our Palo Alto station guide.
3. Book a room months ahead. Hotels near campus fill on Big Game weekends, along with commencement and move-in. Our guide to staying near Stanford lists options.
4. Dress in layers. November games can start warm and end cold, especially at night. Our November guide covers the weather.

When the game is in Berkeley

In even years, Stanford fans make the trip across the bay to California Memorial Stadium, built into the hills above the Berkeley campus. Driving is the most common choice but stadium parking is limited and traffic on the bridges can be slow. A transit route is Caltrain north to Millbrae, then BART to Downtown Berkeley and a walk uphill to the stadium. Leave extra time for the transfer and the climb.

Make a day of it if you can. Our guide to Berkeley covers food and sights near campus.

Watching from Palo Alto

If you cannot get a ticket, you can still watch. The game is televised and bars and restaurants around town usually put it on. Our guide to watching sports in Palo Alto lists places with screens. When the game is in Berkeley, the mood around University Avenue is quieter, but Stanford fans still gather to watch.

Frequently asked questions