Frequently Asked Questions

Stanford traditions

• Why is Stanford’s nickname the Cardinal?
• If Stanford is the Cardinal, what’s the deal with the dancing tree?
• Why is the school also called Leland Stanford Junior University?
• What is the Directors’ Cup and why is it important to Stanford Athletics?
• What is the Capital One Cup?
• What is the Champion of Champions?
• Who is this fellow named Cal, and why do you want to beat him?
• Why is Stanford’s band so … different?

Football history and lore

• Who are the “Vow Boys,” the Wow Boys,” and the “Now Boys”?
• Who are the “Thunderchickens?”
• What was the Tunnel Workers’ Union and what does it have to do with football?

The CardBoard history and lore

• Why is huge on the banned word list?

Football Game Day at Stanford

• Where can I see schedules and buy tickets?
• Where can I buy Stanford gear?
• What are the best ways to travel to Stanford on game days?
• Where should I park?
• What's there to do and see on campus?
• Where to get food and drink near campus?

Stanford traditions

Why is Stanford’s nickname the Cardinal?

One of the first things admitted students learn about Stanford is that the team name is the singular Cardinal, not Cardinals, and that it refers to the color, not the bird. The short answer for “why?” is that the 1972 trustees and president decided that would be the team’s nickname.

For many years, the teams had gone by the nickname “Indians.” In 1972, North American indigenous people, particularly those in the San Francisco Bay Area, were protesting their treatment by the majority culture. Some, but not all of these indigenous people felt that that nicknaming athletic teams “Indians” was demeaning. One such person led a successful campaign to remove the “Indian” as Stanford’s mascot. It should be noted that this graduate student received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley.

After the trustees agreed to change the athletic moniker, the student body held an election to decide on a new name. The name that won was “Robber Barons”; however, then president Donald Kennedy said he felt that name was disrespectful to the University’s founder, railroad magnate Leland Stanford. Other names that garnered votes in the election included Sequoias and Thunderchickens.

Kennedy discovered an old Stanford Daily article that referred to the team as “Cardinals” or “Cardinal,” after the color of their uniforms. Since he also happens to be a Harvard alumnus, and Harvard uses a color – Crimson – as its team name, he liked the idea, and made it the official moniker.

If Stanford’s the Cardinal, what’s the deal with the dancing tree?

That tree you see frolicking around the playing fields is not an official university mascot; it was the Stanford Band’s suggestion for a nickname. It comes from El Palo Alto (the high pole), a redwood tree that appears on the official seal of both the city of Palo Alto and Stanford University.

Why is the school also called Leland Stanford Junior University?

Stanford is named for Leland Stanford Jr., son of the former senator, who founded the university. Leland Jr. died of typhoid at age 15. His parents decided that a fitting memorial for a young man that age would be a university. The Stanfords laid the cornerstone for Stanford University in 1887. It opened for classes in 1891.

What is the Directors’ Cup and why is it important to Stanford Athletics?

The Directors’ Cup is an award given annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. It is meant to honor the best overall athletic program.

What is the Champion of Champions?

The Champion of Champions is the NCAA member school with the most national championships in a given year. Stanford has won that honor more than any other school.

Who is this fellow named Cal, and why do you want to beat him?

Cal is Stanford’s whipping boy. We’ve been beating Cal since 1891. Some people claim Cal is a university, but we don’t believe them.

Football history and lore

Why is the Stanford Band so … different?

The Leland Stanford Junior (Pause) University Marching Band is a “scatter” band, similar to the bands of all but one of the Ivy League schools, and the Rice University Marching Owl Band (MOB). The Virginia Pep Band at the University of Virginia had been the only public school scatter band, but it was, um, disbanded in 2002. Many of the bands adopted this format in the 1960s in reaction to the militarism of traditional bands and because the smaller numbers of students at some of the schools made it difficult to field a band that could form more traditional large marching formations.

LSJUMB also is entirely student run, and has been since 1963. The Band went on strike that year, refusing to play at football games, as Stanford had let go of its popular faculty director. Stanford hired Dr. Arthur P. Barnes as director of bands, and he reestablished control of the Band by giving control to the students. That student control has led to confrontations between the Band and the boundaries of “good taste,” in the eyes of fans and administrators alike. Its salute to the Spotted Owl Controversy led to its being banned from the state of Oregon, but the same energy that produces such controversy during football seasons also leads the LSJUMB to perform at charity events, local parades, and as many other Stanford athletic events as are practical, from swimming meets and soccer games to several ill-fated tennis matches.

Who are the “Vow Boys,” the Wow Boys,” and the “Now Boys”?

The Vow Boys were a group of football players who played from 1933-1935. They were unbeaten during their freshman year, although their varsity counterparts had completed a mediocre 6-4-1 record and suffered a 13-0 shutout at the hands of USC — their fifth straight loss to the Trojans. The varsity coach, the legendary Pop Warner, had quit and gone to, of all places, Temple, because he thought Stanford’s admissions policy was so stringent that the Indians would never be able to compete with USC.

Warner was wrong. Following the varsity’s loss, quarterback Frank Alustiza gathered the freshman squad around him and the team made a vow never to lose to SC. Not only did they not lose to the Trojans, but they played in three straight Rose Bowls. Five of the Vow Boys made All America.

The Wow Boys brought Stanford’s famed innovation to the football team. Although the team had won only one game the previous year, they went undefeated in 1940 under new coach Clark Shaughnessy and his T-formation. They also innovated in the uniforms, bringing out all whites instead of the moleskins that teams typically wore in that era.

Once again, Warner provided a reverse prophecy. “If Stanford ever wins a single game with that formation, you can throw all the football I ever knew in the Pacific Ocean,” he said. “What they’re doing is ridiculous.” The team beat Nebraska 21-13 in the Rose Bowl that year.

The Now Boys didn’t make it to the Rose Bowl, but many of them shared the conference championship with Washington in 1992. The team got its name in 1991 when coach Denny Green declared that the team didn’t want to wait to start winning. Warner was not around to make any prognostications about the team.

Who were the “Thunderchickens?”

Thunderchickens were members of the defensive line on Stanford’s 1971 and 1972 Rose Bowl victories. The 1970 edition included Dave Tipton, Pete Lazetich, Greg Sampson, Larry Butler and Roger Cowan. In 1971, Pierre Perreault replaced Tipton, who had graduated.

The name was taken from a Montana motorcycle gang. Defensive players wanted a nickname after the USC defense dubbed itself the Wild Bunch. According to Tipton, the name came about because one of the other linemen thought Tipton resembled a chicken when he ran.

What was the Tunnel Workers Union and what does it have to do with football?

Tunnel Workers’ Union No. 88, Western Division, are a group of strong, tough, gritty, working class dudes – aka offensive linemen – who led the way for the Cardinal. Chris Marinelli, David De Castro, Chase Beeler, Andrew Phillips, and Jonathan Martin dug holes in front of Toby Gerhart the way the eastern division dug a highway tunnel under Boston for 30 years. The players kept the nickname the following year even though leader Marinelli graduated. De Castro and Martin went on to become NFL first day draft picks (De Castro in the first round, Martin early in the second).

The CardBoard history and lore

Why did a word other than the one I typed appear when my message was posted?

The producers of the CardBoard believe that some words (such as Cal and Walt Harris) to be too vile to be spoken in polite company. We have therefore replaced them with more acceptable descriptions.

Why is “huge” on the banned word list?

Before the 1999 football season, one of our frequent posters trumpeted the opening game against Texas as one that would set the tone for the season. He posted frequently that the game would be “huge.” Stanford lost 69-17. The word was banished forever from the CardBoard lexicon. (By the way, the team turned it around, won the Pac-10 and went to the Rose Bowl.)

Football Game day at Stanford

Thanks to Terry and several other CardBoarders for much of what's below, borrowed from their helpful posts.

Where can I see schedules and buy tickets?

Stanford's official sports web site is at GoStanford.com. You can check schedules, buy tickets online, and get lots of other information there. Admission to many sports is free and doesn't require a ticket. You'll need tickets for baseball, men's or women's basketball, football, women's volleyball, and men's or women's soccer. From the web site, you can get electronic tickets that you can download to your phone, or PDF tickets that you can print out. Stanford's main physical ticket office is at Stanford Stadium near gate #1.

StubHub is Stanford's "official fan to fan ticket marketplace" and a good place to buy tickets if you don't want to buy directly from Stanford or your event is sold out. Some fans recommend SeatGeek as another alternative.

Where can I buy Stanford gear?

The Stanford Athletics Shop (aka Track House), on Galvez St. near the intersection with Campus Dr., is close to Stanford Stadium, Maples Pavilion, and the other athletic fields and facilities. The Stanford Bookstore also has lots of gear, as do several other shops on or near campus. Click here for a list with more details.

What are the best ways to travel to Stanford on game days?

Bike: If you're lucky enough to live close enough to Stanford to be able to bike, you probably don't need us to tell you it's a great way to get in and out quickly, avoiding the car traffic snarl. Biking is also a great way to explore campus, but watch out for heavy bike traffic in the central campus.

Train: Lots of people recommend taking the train. There is a CalTrain stop at Embarcadero Rd. in Palo Alto that operates only on game days. It's a short walk to and from the stadium. When leaving the stadium, walk on the left side of Embarcadero to reach the ramp up to the southbound platform; the right side for the northbound platform. The CalTrain stop at University Ave. in Palo Alto (the Palo Alto Transit Center) is also a reasonable walking distance from the stadium.

Car: Unsurprisingly, traffic is bad getting in and out around gametime, especially for weekday evening games. People recommend coming into campus the back way, from 280, not 101. See more under "Where should I park?" below. Generally, traffic is bad most of the time all around the Bay Area. Use Waze or whatever other app is your favorite to help guide you away from the worst of the traffic jams.

Lyft/Uber/etc.: Obviously this can work. Probably best to have your driver let you out a few blocks away from the traffic jam at El Camino and Embarcadero so as not to get caught there.

Bus: Bus routes that terminate at Stanford Shopping Center or the Palo Alto Transit Center might avoid the worst of the traffic. The Stanford area is served by SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit) from the north and VTA (Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority) to the south. There is also a free Stanford shuttle bus called the Marguerite.

Where should I park?

If you are going to drive to the game and park, it could be easier to come up from the east or the west or the south, 280, and to come up to the lot that way. There’s a general parking lot that takes cash on Arboretum Road, which you can access from Campus Drive. There is plenty of free parking available on campus too, if you don't mind parking farther away and walking. Parking in a more distant lot also can help you avoid the post-game traffic jam on campus.

Palo Alto High School makes their lot available on a pay basis. It's right across the street from Stanford Stadium.

What's there to do and see on campus?

The Stanford campus is large and beautiful. Walk around the academic areas for a bit and enjoy it! Here's the campus map. The free Marguerite shuttle bus can help you reach places that would be too far to walk. Stanford's main web site is www.stanford.edu with lots more information.

If you haven't been to Stanford before and you are driving, try entering campus by way of University Avenue. It takes you through downtown Palo Alto and into the campus. The name of the street changes from University Ave. to Palm Drive as you cross over El Camino Real. That gives you the "picture postcard" view of the campus as you enter.

The Quad: This is the academic heart of the campus. Spend some time wandering around. You will want to go into Memorial Church. Check out Memorial Court, which is at the main entrance to the Quad. Just outside the main entrance to the Quad is the Oval, a large grassy area that often is the site of frisbee, sunbathing, picnics, or whatever.

White Plaza: This is the crossroads of the campus, and there's usually a lot of activity. The Bookstore has Stanford clothing and souvenirs. You can get something to eat at the Tresidder Union. Look in the bottom center part of the map.

The Rodin Sculpture Garden at the Museum: (The Museum is formally known as the Cantor Arts Center.) Admission to the Museum is free if you want to go inside, but you don't have to enter the Museum to see the Rodin Garden.

Hoover Tower: You won't have a problem finding it. Just look up. If the tower is open, you may want to ride up and see the campus from above.

The Dish: Running or walking up to the Stanford Dish, a giant radio telescope that's visible from Highway 280, is always a popular activity.

The Stanford Athletics Home of Champions: In the Arrillaga Family Sports Center, 641 E. Campus Drive. This is the new hall of fame space. Free admission. Lots of interactive displays. Lots of trophies too.

The Walk: Two hours before kickoff, the Stanford team will walk from its locker room at Arrillaga Family Sports Center to the stadium. The Walk is a long-standing tradition. Fans will stand along the route and applaud the team as it walks past. The best place to see the Walk is in Chuck Taylor Grove, along Sam McDonald Mall. The Band plays in Chuck Taylor Grove immediately before the Walk.

While you're in Chuck Taylor Grove, take a look for the plaques honoring college football Hall of Famers Chuck Taylor (a Stanford player, coach, and athletic director) and Pop Warner (Stanford's second winningest coach after David Shaw, who surprassed him in 2018.

Fan Fest: The Stanford "Fan Fest" is in the hammer throw area of Angell Field, on the opposite side of Sam McDonald Mall from Chuck Taylor Grove. You can get something to eat at the Fan Fest. They sell beer too. See this link.

Other Sports: There are often other sports played on campus on football game days. Men's Water Polo is one example. Check the schedules on gostanford.com to see what's happening.

Where to get food and drink off campus?

Bars: Depends how much time you have before kickoff, but University Ave. is pretty close by. Bars around there include Nola, the Patio, Scotty's Bar, the Rose and Crown, and the Tap Room.

Restaurants: There are a ton of restaurants on campus, near campus in the University Ave. district, nearby on El Camino, and a bit farther south on California St.

Farther afield: There is a tremendous amount to do and see in the greater Bay Area! If you're visiting from far away, take time to see the sights — in San Francisco, of course, but also all around the Bay, the mountains, and the oceanfront.