STANFORD, Calif. – Defending champion, and winner of six of the last seven titles, Stanford was picked as the Pac-12 favorite entering the 2021 season.
The Cardinal had never been picked as the favorite prior to the 2017 season, despite winning three straight championships from 2014-16, but have been selected No. 1 by the coaches four of the last five years.
Stanford collected four out of five possible first-place votes and totaled 24 points. Washington was second with 22 points and two first place votes, followed by Oregon State with 17. UCLA (11), California (10) and San Diego State (6) rounded out the poll.
Firmly cemented as one of the most successful collegiate men's soccer programs over the last decade, Stanford has advanced to the NCAA College Cup in four of the last six seasons, including three straight championships from 2015-17, and boasts a record of 101-20-24 (.779) since 2014.
The Cardinal returns nine of its 11 starters from last year's squad, including reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year, Zach Ryan, along with the return of 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, Ousseni Bouda, who sat out last season with injury.
Stanford concludes its preseason slate on Saturday, Aug. 21 against Santa Clara at 7 p.m. and starts the regular season with two matches on the road, beginning Aug. 26 at SMU.
Season ticket memberships, group experiences and single-game tickets are currently on sale by visiting gostanford.com/msoctickets or calling 800-STANFORD.
2021 Pac-12 Coaches' Poll
| Rank | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Stanford | 24 (4) |
| 2. | Washington | 22 (2) |
| 3. | Oregon State | 17 |
| 4. | UCLA | 11 |
| 5. | California | 10 |
| 6. | San DIego State | 6 |