Stanford Football to Face William & Mary in 2030

The programs will play each other for the first time ever

Nov 20, 2021; Stanford, California, USA; General view of the Stanford Cardinal helmet during the third quarter against the California Golden Bears at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

An unfamiliar opponent will come to The Farm in just a few years' time. On Wednesday, it was announced that Stanford and the William & Mary football programs have agreed to a matchup in Palo Alto in 2030. This will be the first time that the two schools will face off in the history of the two programs.

As is typical in college football, most teams will announce opponents many years in advance, primarily for planning purposes and/or the need to generate revenue if necessary. As part of Stanford's non-conference slate for that season, William & Mary will come to California and take on the Cardinal on Oct. 5, 2030.

The game against William & Mary's program is the second non-conference home game that has been scheduled for Stanford's 2030 season, with Hawaii slated to play at Stanford Stadium on Aug. 31.

Part of the FCS' Coastal Athletic Association, the Tribe finished 7-5 in 2024 to extend their streak of consecutive winning seasons to five.

Under head coach Mike London, the Tribe have experienced strong success, with their most successful campaign being in 2022 where they finished 11-2 and were co-champions of the CAA, but fell short of a championship, losing to Montana State 55-7 in NCAA Division I FCS Quarterfinal.

Stanford's program is currently undergoing major changes since the firing of head coach Troy Taylor. With an interim head coach in Frank Reich for the 2025 campaign, a long-term solution is yet to be determined but the vision does remain the same--to continue to progress forward and build the program up so that it is propelled back into the national spotlight.

Some notable matchups for Stanford in 2025 include home games against California, Notre Dame and Florida State with away matchups against teams such as Miami, North Carolina, SMU and BYU.