Stanford Wraps Up Non-Conference Slate with Intriguing Matchup

The Cardinal are looking to secure one last non-conference win before the calendar flips

Dec 17, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ryan Agarwal (11) dribbles upcourt against the Texas-Arlington Mavericks in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Going into the 2025-26 season, Stanford had many tough and important games on their schedule for the season. Big games such as hosting Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, and Clemson are massive games this season, as well as rivalry games against Cal and Notre Dame.

Even games in the non-conference slate such as Colorado and St. Louis has proved to be massive games early this season. However, an underrated game that could be a big indicator of how this season will play out is their home game against Cal State Northridge—and it may not be for the reason you think.

Over the holidays, college basketball typically takes a pause in favor of allowing students to see family, as well as not needing to compete with the NBA and NFL for ratings. That means college basketball hasn't been played from December 23 to 26, making college basketball fans antsy for their favorite sport to come back.

This afternoon, college basketball returns, but there will only be two games, with just one being a DI vs DI matchup. And that game is Stanford vs Cal State Northridge.

All eyes will be on the Cardinal this weekend. With Stanford playing well recently, their March Madness hopes are still alive, and Saturday is the perfect opportunity to build their case for why they could potentially make their first tournament in 12 years.

Last season, Stanford and CSU Northridge met up in the NIT, where the Cardinal dominated at home, 87-70 to advance in the postseason, while the Matadors had their season ended. That makes 2025’s matchup an intriguing one.

The Matadors have started their season well, getting wins over North Dakota, Troy, Fresno State, and Sac State. However, they have been a victim of inconsistency, losing to Idaho, Idaho State, and North Dakota State in brutal fashion.

On a good day, the Matadors can be a solid team capable of similar achievements to last year. However when things don’t go their way, CSU Northridge is not only beatable, but can get dominated by essentially any DI team.

Stanford has had a good start to the year following year one under Kyle Smith. They enter this game at 10-2, beating St. Louis, Colorado, Minnesota, and more. But losses to Seattle and UNLV prove that Stanford can be also be beaten by mid-major opponents.

This weekend, players such as Ebuka Okorie, Chisom Okpara, and Benny Gealer can showcase themselves to the world, proving that they can be great basketball players at the highest level. Even players such as Jeremy Dent-Smith and AJ Rohosy can prove themselves in front of a national audience after playing at the DII and DIII levels before coming to Stanford.

While CSU Northridge isn’t a phenomenal team, given Stanford an opportunity to dominate an inferior opponent, and showcase their skills. A 20 or 30 point win could be massive to the Cardinal's season, while a close win or even a loss could be embarrassing for the Cardinal.

It is Stanford’s final contest of their 13-game non-conference slate to end 2025. With the new year, the Cardinal will start ACC play, where the games are expected to be tougher.