What Will be the Next Big Event at Stanford Stadium?

Stanford Stadium has been host to some big events over the years. Opened in 1921, the 104 year old stadium has been a part of some important parts of history in many different sports. In 1984, Stanford Stadium played host to soccer matches in the Summer Olympics. Despite the tournament being held in Los Angeles, the stadium was one of three venues outside LA to host.

On January 20, 1985, the stadium hosted the Super Bowl between the local San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins in front of 84,059 fans, as the Niners dominated Dan Marino and the Dolphins. The final ended up with the Niners winning 38-16.

In the 90’s, Stanford hosted Men’s and Women’s World Cup matches at the stadium. Stanford Stadium was home for a total of seven matches, including two containing the United States, in both the men’s and women’s cups.

Next weekend, it will host Coldplay, a famous rock/pop band that has revolutionized music in multiple genres.

But what will be the next big sporting event to come to Stanford Stadium? Let’s take a look at some options.

Since the opening of Levi’s Stadium in 2014, Santa Clara has seemingly stolen some big moments from Stanford. They have hosted the Super Bowl and College Football Playoff National Championship in the last few seasons, and will host another Super Bowl as well as the World Cup in 2026.

So what will Stanford Stadium do? With a lower capacity than before, and residing in the shadow of Levi’s Stadium, Stanford Stadium should represent themselves by creating a bowl game.

There is currently no bowl game in Northern California, with the closest one being the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. Creating a bowl game could bring some interest to college football in Silicon Valley. It could give teams a fun destination to come for a postseason party. It could also motivate Stanford to push towards a bowl game.

A few names that could work are “the Bay Area Bowl” or the “the Silicon Valley Bowl.” They would join teams such as UCLA, Coastal Carolina, Boise State, and Hawaii to be hosts of the game.

Stanford Stadium is too nice of a stadium to go unnoticed. Having a bowl game would be a great way to revamp the love for college football in the Bay Area, be a fun destination, and give the stadium some of the national appreciation that it deserves.