Stanford's NCAA Title Streak Could Reach 50 Consecutive Years This Weekend

Stanford University is known for being one of the top academic institutions in the entire nation. Stanford is also known for its excellence in athletics, with multiple professional athletes and Olympians spending their college careers on The Farm, where they showcased their greatness.

From NFL legends such as John Elway, Andrew Luck, John Lynch and many others to Olympic medalists in gymnast Asher Hong or decorated swimmer Katie Ledecky, there has been no shortage of superstars that have come through Stanford.

And this year, Stanford has the opportunity to do something very special. Having already won a national title in 49 straight seasons in various sports, the university will look to extend that streak this season, with many sports in the running to win a title. Starting things off is women's cross country, who will compete in the NCAA Championships this weekend.

For years, Stanford has provided the best of both worlds, giving students the chance to reach their full potential academically—and setting them up for prosperous futures—while also giving them the best chance to make a name for themselves athletically. Those two factors are what make Stanford University a world-class institution.

Below is a press release sent out by Stanford Athletics on Thursday morning.

Stanford has won at least one NCAA team championship for 49 straight years, a streak that originated in 1976 and significantly outdistances its next closest active challenger (North Carolina with 7). The Cardinal’s first title opportunity of the 2025-26 campaign to extend the streak to 50 comes Saturday, Nov. 22, when women’s cross country competes at the NCAA Championship.

STANFORD, Calif. - Intercollegiate athletics have been synonymous with unprecedented change.

Over the last five years alone, conferences have realigned, student-athletes have transferred and the NIL arms race has intensified.

And yet despite all the configurations, compromise and competition, there has also been one constant: Stanford Athletics remains the undisputed Home of Champions.

Stanford has captured at least one NCAA team championship for 49 consecutive seasons, a streak that dates back to the 1976-77 campaign. Never an off-year. Never a near-miss. Instead, at least one NCAA trophy has found its way back to The Farm for 49 years in a row.

The nation’s all-time leader in NCAA team championships (137), Stanford’s championship dominance and longevity is even more impressive when compared to its peers. Consider this: the country’s next longest active streak belongs to North Carolina - with 7. After that, a group of Florida, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Texas, USC and Virginia - with 5.

Meanwhile, several other schools have produced double-digit annual title streaks in their history, led by USC’s 19 years in a row with a trophy from 1959-60 through 1977-78.

Who could have predicted that Stanford’s 13-12 men’s water polo title victory over UCLA back on Nov. 28, 1976 would have been the origin of an incredible NCAA streak that remains intact today?

Women’s cross country will get the first crack to make it 50 at their NCAA meet on Saturday morning in Columbia, Missouri, hoping to extend Stanford’s championship heater into a fifth decade.

However, even if the Cardinal falls short this weekend, history proves that another squad will get it done.

So, while Cardinal teams have their sights set on 50, it’s only appropriate to reflect on how we arrived at 49.

During the 49-year streak ...

Stanford has won 125 of its 137 overall NCAA team titles.

19 different teams (10 men, 9 women) have won NCAA team titles.

Women’s tennis leads the way with 20 NCAA team titles, followed by men’s tennis (15), men’s water polo (11), women’s swimming/diving (11), women’s water polo (10) and men’s gymnastics (10).

Dynasties have been a fixture, led by women’s tennis winning six in a row from 1986-91. Men’s gymnastics (2019-24) and women’s swimming/diving (1992-96) have each made it five consecutive years while men’s soccer (2015-17), men’s swimming/diving (1985-87, 1992-94), women’s swimming/diving (2017-19) and men’s tennis (1988-90, 1995-98) have all produced three-peats.

There have been 11 years in which one team single-handedly kept the streak alive (women’s tennis = 5, men’s tennis = 2, women’s water polo = 2, women’s cross country = 1, men’s swimming/diving = 1).

The latest date Stanford has had to wait for an NCAA title streak-extender: May 25, 1978, when men’s tennis defeated UCLA 6-3 in Athens, Ga.

The Cardinal kept its streak going without interruption during the COVID-19 global pandemic, winning three NCAA team titles in December 2019 (2019-20 campaign) before women’s basketball prevailed in the bubble on April 4, 2021, two weeks before men’s gymnastics repeated as champ (2020-21 campaign).

On three occasions, Stanford has won multiple NCAA team titles on the same day: Dec. 8, 2019 (men’s water polo and women’s soccer), Nov. 24, 2003 (men’s cross country and women’s cross country) and Nov. 25, 1996 (men’s cross country and women’s cross country).

The Cardinal’s school record for most NCAA team titles in an athletic campaign is 6, having accomplished the feat twice (2018-19 and 1996-97).

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