STANFORD, Calif. — For the first time since 2012, Stanford football will hold a spring practice at historic Kezar Stadium in San Francisco.
Stanford’s practice on Saturday, April 11, will be open to the public. Admission is free for all fans, with gates to Kezar Stadium opening at 1:30 p.m. Practice will run from 2-4 p.m., with an autograph session scheduled immediately following practice. A family-friendly fan fest will begin when gates open, featuring food trucks, inflatables, and games.
“We are excited to return to Kezar Stadium in San Francisco for a spring practice,” said Stanford football general manager Andrew Luck. “There is a rich history of Bay Area football at Kezar, and some of the early foundations of Stanford football would be incomplete without it. Bringing a spring practice back to San Francisco and back to Kezar Stadium is a tremendous opportunity to showcase our program.”
Limited pay parking will be available in the Kezar Lot, adjacent to Kezar on Stanyan Street. Nearby lots, a short distance away, include 350 Parnassus Ave Garage, Music Concourse Garage, and UCSF Millberry Union Public Garage. Free and metered street parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood, including along Frederick St, Stanyan St, and Kezar Dr., but please note that these areas are strictly monitored for permit requirements and time limits.
Fans are heavily encouraged to use public transportation, including San Francisco MUNI, BART, Caltrain, and Golden Gate Ferry. Fans can also use the Official Ride-Hailing Partner of Stanford Athletics, Waymo, to get from campus to a public transportation option and/or get around San Francisco. The stadium is easily accessible via the N-Judah MUNI train and the 6, 7, 33, 37, and 43 MUNI bus lines.
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“First and foremost, there’s always been a connection between Stanford and The City,” said Stanford’s Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football Tavita Pritchard. “Obviously there is the proximity, but on a personal level, my wife lived up there after she graduated from Stanford, so we spent a lot of time up there. A lot of Stanford alums set up shop there, so we have a really strong connection there and it’s fun to highlight that and all the great history that’s been made in that stadium.”
Stanford first played its Cardinal and White Spring Game at Kezar Stadium on April 17, 2010, and played the annual scrimmage there from 2010-12. Its inaugural game in San Francisco marked a return to the historic stadium for the program, nearly 60 years in the making.
Stanford football first played at Kezar Stadium on October 20, 1928, when it hosted Idaho and won 47-0. It was one of the first games played in the recently renovated stadium, which opened in 1925 and was quickly expanded to seat 60,000 spectators.
It wouldn’t be until 1940 when Stanford returned to Kezar Stadium to take on the University of San Francisco in the season opener on September 28. Stanford played in the nightcap of the first major college football doubleheader, with Santa Clara and Utah meeting in the earlier game. Stanford won 27-0 in a game with major historical significance.
That victory was the first in Stanford’s 10-0 season that culminated in a Rose Bowl Game victory over Nebraska, earning a share of the program’s second national championship. It also marked the debut of the famous T-formation that helped revolutionize offensive football and was the first time Stanford wore a white helmet, jersey, and pants in a game, a road uniform combination that is the team’s primary road look to this day.
That 1940 team was dubbed the “Wow Boys” thanks to their style of play and clean-looking uniforms, a nod to the “Vow Boys” of the 1930s.
Three additional home games were played by Stanford at Kezar Stadium during the 1942 season, to comply with World War II wartime requirements to minimize the use of non-essential public transportation, which shifted events to locations closer to population centers.
“This gives us extra juice. Going there for the day, having some fun, having people out there supporting us…it gives us extra energy to our spring practice,” Pritchard added.
Many local football teams have called Kezar Stadium home. The University of San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Saint Mary’s shared the facility for home games, with USF serving as the last collegiate team to call Kezar Stadium home, playing through the 1971 season.
Kezar Stadium was also home to professional football from 1946-70, serving as the inaugural home of the San Francisco 49ers. Former Stanford quarterback and 1970 NFL MVP, the late John Brodie, spent his entire 17-year career with the 49ers, including 14 seasons played at Kezar Stadium. The Oakland Raiders played part of their inaugural season in 1960 at Kezar Stadium as well.
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