On Dec. 3, 2017, Stanford Athletics won a national championship in women’s soccer, temporarily becoming the nation’s all-time leader with 114 NCAA championships and passing rival UCLA for the first time since 1965. However, the lead was short-lived, when the Bruins claimed the men’s water polo crown that same day.

Later in the 2017-18 campaign, Stanford moved ahead following titles in men’s soccer and women's swimming, before UCLA answered with two more, giving both schools 116 NCAA championships.

Stanford moved permanently in front with 117 on May 22, 2018, after winning women's tennis. The Cardinal has since won 21 more NCAA championships, increasing its nation-leading total to 138 and maintaining its edge over second-place UCLA (124).

This historic milestone is a product of the unrivaled culture of excellence, relentless championship spirit and continued support from the entire Stanford community. As a department, we will continue to embrace the mission of scholar-athleticism and strive to inspire champions.

More Numbers

• Stanford is the nation’s all-time leader in NCAA team championships, having won 138 NCAA titles (71 men, 67 women) and 173 national championships overall (77 men, 93 women, 3 coed).
• Stanford has won at least one NCAA team championship during each of the last 49 years, dating back to the 1976-77 campaign. 
• Of Stanford's 138 NCAA championships, 35 have been won by fall sports, 33 by winter sports and 70 by spring sports. 
• The Cardinal has captured 62 NCAA crowns since 2000 and 41 since 2010.
• The Cardinal produced six national championships during the 2024-25 campaign, including NCAA titles in women's water polo and women's rowing. In addition to a national championship in artistic swimming, the sailing program accounted for three national titles.
• During the 2018-19 campaign, Stanford captured seven national championships overall, a haul that included NCAA crowns in women's volleyball, women's swimming, men's gymnastics, women's water polo, women's tennis and men's golf. The six NCAA titles matched the school record for an academic year, with the Cardinal also winning six back in 1996-97.
• Stanford has won the Learfield Directors’ Cup in 26 of the possible 31 seasons, including a 25-year streak from 1995-2019. The Directors’ Cup is awarded annually to the most successful overall intercollegiate athletic department in the nation in each of the NCAA’s three divisions.
• Stanford completed a sweep of the Capital One Cup in 2020-21, matching its dual victory achievement from 2017-18 and remaining the only school to capture both titles in the same season. The Cardinal is a three-time winner on the men's side and a seven-time champion of the women's program.
• Stanford has produced 572 individual NCAA champions and 658 overall. The Cardinal boasted 13 individual national champions during the 2024-25 campaign, with the women's swimming and diving program leading the way with four NCAA individual titles.
• Stanford’s affiliates have captured 335 overall medals (162 gold, 93 silver, 80 bronze) from 196 medalists. Stanford concluded the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with a school-record 39 medals (12 gold, 14 silver, 13 bronze), representing the most student-athlete medals won in an Olympics by any school. The Cardinal has produced at least one medalist in every Olympics in which the U.S. has competed since 1912.
• Stanford student-athletes have earned a nation-leading 189 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, which are awarded to students who demonstrate outstanding performance in athletics, academics, and community service. 
• 13 Stanford scholar-athletes have earned a Rhodes Scholarship.