Stanford, Cal MBB to Travel Almost 20,000 Miles in Conference Play

In 2023-24, Stanford and Cal traveled approximately 6,000 miles throughout their conference schedule, with the farthest road trips coming in Colorado, just over 1,000 miles away from each institution. Playing regional opponents was no big deal, as the average team travels at similar mileage to the two Bay Area schools.

However, the Pac 12 was falling apart, and in no time, the two programs transitioned to the ACC.

Fans were upset for many reasons. With the elimination of the Pac 12, some of Stanford and Cal’s most pristine rivals, outside of each other, would start to diminish. It would be tougher to continue storied rivalries with schools such as USC, Oregon, and Arizona. Secondly, fans complained about the travel.

Teams such as Arizona State, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado would have to travel further to be a part of their desired conference in the midwest. Oregon, Washington, UCLA, and USC would have to travel more as well, playing in the Big Ten full of northern opponents.

But worst of all was Stanford and Cal, who would have to travel tons to face ACC teams, many of whom are clear across the country. We are now in the second year of the new ACC, and the Bay Area schools will have to travel quite a bit.

Earlier this week, the list of scheduled ACC opponents was released, giving a glimpse into the 2025-26 campaign. What truly stood out was the distances that Stanford and Cal would have to cover.

Stanford and Cal will play nine away non-conference games next season, with eight being played over 2,000 miles away. The one game that wouldn’t is Stanford vs Cal.

Both teams' total mileage will be over right around 22,000 miles (one way) just in conference play next season. Some of those miles will be mitigated by traveling depending on how the road scheduled shakes out, perhaps with a trip from Florida to Florida State, but that 22,000 figure also doesn't include the return miles, either, so it may more or less remain the same.

Although stats like this aren't tracked, it is hard to imagine that any other programs have similar travel to both Bay Area schools.

Both teams will have to play games all the way up in Boston, MA, down to Miami, FL, and almost everything in between. It will truly be a testament to whether the programs can truly defy the odds, and succeed at a distance.

Last season, Stanford went just 2-8 on the road in conference play, while Cal went 1-9. If both teams struggle similarly to last year, they might be in trouble and may have to revisit the drawing board for new ideas on how to succeed despite the amount of travel they face.