On Dec. 3, 2017, Stanford Athletics won a national championship in women’s soccer, temporarily becoming the nation’s all-time leader with 114 NCAA championships and passing rival UCLA for the first time since 1965. However, the lead was short-lived, when the Bruins claimed the men’s water polo crown that same day.

Later in the 2017-18 campaign, Stanford moved ahead following titles in men’s soccer and women's swimming, before UCLA answered with two more, giving both schools 116 NCAA championships.

Stanford moved permanently in front with 117 on May 22, 2018, after winning women's tennis. The Cardinal has since won 20 more NCAA championships, increasing its nation-leading total to 137 and maintaining its edge over second-place UCLA (124).

This historic milestone is a product of the unrivaled culture of excellence, relentless championship spirit and continued support from the entire Stanford community. As a department, we will continue to embrace the mission of scholar-athleticism and strive to inspire champions.

More Numbers

• Stanford is the nation’s all-time leader in NCAA team championships, having won 137 NCAA titles (71 men, 66 women) and 170 national championships overall (77 men, 91 women, 2 coed).
• Stanford has won at least one NCAA team championship during each of the last 49 seasons, dating back to the 1976-77 campaign. 
• Of Stanford's 137 NCAA championships, 35 have been won by fall sports, 33 by winter sports and 69 by spring sports. 
• The Cardinal has captured 61 NCAA crowns since 2000 and 40 since 2010.
• The Cardinal produced four national championships during the 2023-24 campaign, winning a fifth consecutive men's gymnastics title while cruising to a dominant run in women's golf. Stanford also added a pair of national titles in sailing.
• During the 2018-19 campaign, Stanford captured seven national championships overall, a haul that included NCAA crowns in women's volleyball, women's swimming, men's gymnastics, women's water polo, women's tennis and men's golf. The six NCAA titles matched the school record for an academic year, with the Cardinal also winning six back in 1996-97.
• Stanford has won the Learfield Directors’ Cup in 26 of the possible 30 seasons, including a 25-year streak from 1995-2019. The Directors’ Cup is awarded annually to the most successful overall intercollegiate athletic department in the nation in each of the NCAA’s three divisions.
• Stanford completed a sweep of the Capital One Cup in 2020-21, matching its dual victory achievement from 2017-18 and remaining the only school to capture both titles in the same season. The Cardinal is a three-time winner on the men's side and a seven-time champion of the women's program.
• Stanford has produced 562 individual NCAA champions and 645 overall. The Cardinal boasted 10 individual national champions during the 2023-24 campaign, led by Asher Hong (men’s gymnastics) collecting three NCAA titles.
• Stanford’s affiliates have captured 335 overall medals (162 gold, 93 silver, 80 bronze) from 196 medalists. Stanford concluded the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with a school-record 39 medals (12 gold, 14 silver, 13 bronze), representing the most student-athlete medals won in an Olympics by any school. The Cardinal has produced at least one medalist in every Olympics in which the U.S. has competed since 1912.
• Stanford student-athletes have earned a nation-leading 189 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, which are awarded to students who demonstrate outstanding performance in athletics, academics, and community service. 
• 13 Stanford scholar-athletes have earned a Rhodes Scholarship.