Flash Forward: Stanford Sports Looking to Extend Championship Streak to 50 Years

But, which Stanford sport has the potential to keep the streak going between the main ones--men's and women's basketball, softball, baseball and football? Each of these sports have seen their own success through the course of history, but are they on track to keep it going?

Of all those sports, women's basketball has had the most sustained success and has seen success very recently. Before this season, the program made the NCAA tournament for nearly 40 seasons straight, making it every season from 1988-2024. Getting an opportunity to dance is half the battle. And during that time, the Cardinal won three national titles in 1990, 1992 and 2021.

With the retirement of longtime head coach Tara VanDerveer following the 2023-24 campaign, the Cardinal missed the postseason for the first time since the 1980s. With a new head coach and a new conference being a major factor. It was a season of transition, and they'll be looking to rebound in 2025-26.

With one of the best recruiting classes in the nation coming in, the Cardinal are in prime position to return to prominence next season.

There are a lot of other teams that will make it hard for the Cardinal to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament, such as UConn and South Carolina, but if the roster is as good as advertised, and the three five-stars additions in Lara Somfai, Alex Eschmeyer and Hailee Swan are stars right out of the gate, then Stanford may surprise people as early as next season.

When it comes to men's basketball, a surprisingly good season in Kyle Smith's first year as head coach warrants high expectations going into next season. Winning over 20 games for the first time since 2020 and signing a strong recruiting class for 2025-26, the Cardinal are on the rise. While a championship is still a few years away, a tournament berth could be an attainable goal.

Stanford Softball could have the best chance to extend the streak, especially with all the promise shown this past season season. Despite a season-ending loss in the NCAA regionals to snap a two season streak of making the Women's College World Series, the Cardinal were one of the best teams in the nation all season long.

A power-hitting team that was near the top of the NCAA in home runs, the Cardinal have a lot of players from this season's roster returning, while the younger players are poised for bigger roles. Consistently in the national spotlight since Jessica Allister took over as the coach, and now with a season under their belt of being in the ACC, expect the Cardinal to come back with a vengeance in 2026.

When it comes to sports such as football and baseball, those could take some time before evolving into serious contenders. Baseball had three straight College World Series appearances from 2021-23, but the last two seasons have brought more questions than answers.

Their final season in the Pac-12 in 2024 saw the Cardinal finish 22-33. This was a major disappointment for a team expected to be in the mix to win it all. Then this past season, despite a loaded roster of guys that were expected to step up, the Cardinal experienced a midseason collapse after a hot start and limped to the finish line, finishing 27-25 after going 11-19 in conference play.

A lot of guys will return next season, most notably Rintaro Sasaki, but the question becomes if they can elevate the program back to greatness.

Once considered one of the school's best sports, football could be a while away before entering contender conversations. Coming off of four straight 3-9 seasons, and firing head coach Troy Taylor in favor of interim Frank Reich, the Cardinal are in the midst of a rebuild and still trying to figure out their identity moving forward.

The Cardinal football team has a lot of talent, but with no long-term coaching plan yet and a lot of turnover heading into this season, a lot still needs to be figured out.

All of these sports have potential. While they each have experienced recent struggles, their history suggests that a bounce back is imminent, with the championship DNA engrained among each and every Stanford athlete.