Stanford University will play the entire 2025 college softball season at a college football stadium. The Cardinal’s unusual arrangement is equally as bizarre as it is awesome, both in terms of how it looks and what it means.
Stanford softball won more games at Stanford Stadium just this weekend than the Stanford football team in each of its last four seasons. Let that sink in for a second!
The Cardinal hosted the final Pac-12 softball championship (as we knew it) at Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium just 10 months ago. Built in 1997, it hosted regionals in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and Super Regionals in 2005, 2009, 2022, 2023 and 2024. There is a lot of history in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
However, a new era of college softball is underway in Palo Alto as members of the ACC.
Stanford Athletics officially broke ground on the Stanford Softball Stadium at the end of last year. The project, which will include significant improvements to both fan and student-athlete experiences, is expected to be complete in December.
That left the Cardinal without a home for 2025.
The university initially considered playing its home game at nearby softball venues, like Menlo College, but ultimately settled on the football stadium. The football team does not play a traditional Spring Game so the stadium is vacant all spring.
It underwent an expansive transformation at the end of November.
Stanford softball is playing its home games at the football stadium.
The team spent the last few months practicing inside of Stanford Stadium, which creates a massive home-field advantage. The right-field fence is exactly 190 feet from home plate. By NCAA rule, it cannot be even one single inch shorter.
With construction underway for the new Stanford Softball Stadium in 2026, the Card will play the 2025 season at Stanford Stadium.🏟️ 🥎 pic.twitter.com/tL9uhH3VJw
— Softball Portal (@SoftballPortal) January 5, 2025
Stanford’s lineup features five lefties at the top of the order. They are built for the short fence.
I’m not mad about it!
— Head coach Jessica Allister
The Cardinal was supposed to get its season underway on Thursday but the weather had different plans.
Stanford instead began its 2024 campaign on Friday with a 5-2 win over Seattle. It beat Fresno State 3-0 and Seattle (again, in five innings) 17-7 on Saturday. It also beat Fresno State (again, in five innings) 10-2 on Sunday. Freshman Sydney Boulaphinh hit a walk-off home run to run rule the Bulldogs.
SYDNEY BOULAPHINH INTRODUCE YOURSELF! The freshman goes yard in her first career AB to walk us off!#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/0lpfFo5cEJ
— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) February 9, 2025
Stanford softball is 4-0. Stanford football went 3-9 in the same stadium in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The football team won four games in 2019 and 2020. The softball team won four games in one weekend.
Obviously, there is a huge difference between college football and college softball. Still, it is nice to see someone win a game at Stanford Stadium!